DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Dikector 

Water-supply Paper 341 



UNDERGROUND WATERS 

OF THE 

COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA 



BY 



L. W. STEPHENSON AND J. 0. YEATCH 



AND A DISCUSSION OP 

THE QUALITY OF THE WATERS 

BY 

R. B. DOLE 



Prepared in cooperation with the Geological Survey of Georgia 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1915 





Class C^lliZK 
Book ,G\^.. 



Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2011 with funding from 
The Library of Congress 



http://www.archive.org/details/undergroundwaterOOstep 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director 

It'.-.''': 
Wateb-Supply Paper 341 



UNDERGROUND WATERS 

OF THE 

COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA 

BY 

L. W. STEPHENSON AND J. 0. VEATCH 

AND A DISCUSSION OF 

THE QUALITY OF THE WATERS 

BY 

R. B. DOLE 



Prepared in cooperation with the Geological Survey of Georgia 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1915 



/ 




\tftZ> 



.&* 



£* 



LIBRARY OF 'CONGRESS 



JUN1-1921 

DOCUivj^ivjT^ ... ^lON 



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CONTENTS. 

_ _ Page. 

Introduction 25 

Physiography 26 

Cumberland Plateau 26 

Appalachian Valley 27 

Appalachian Mountains 27 

Piedmont Plateau 27 

Coastal Plain 28 

General features 28 

Physiographic subdivisions 29 

Fall-line hills 29 

Dougherty plain 31 

Altamaha upland 32 

Southern limesink region 34 

Okefenokee plain 35 

Satilla coastal lowland 36 

Minor features . 38 

Terraces 38 

Streams 38 

Lakes and ponds 39 

Fresh-water swamps , 40 

Upland-plain swamps 40 

Fluviatile swamps 42 

Springs 43 

Elevations 44 

Geology 52 

Geologic provinces 52 

Deposits of the Coastal Plain 52 

Stratigraphic succession 52 

Structure , 56 

Dip and strike 56 

Local displacements 57 

Chattahoochee anticline 57 

Withlacoochee anticline 59 

Monocline in eastern Georgia 59 

Cretaceous system 60 

Lower Cretaceous series 60 

Areal distribution 60 

Stratigraphic position 60 

Lithologic character 61 

Strike, dip, and thickness 62 

Upper Cretaceous series. 62 

Eutaw formation 62 

Areal distribution .• 62 

Stratigraphic position 62 

Lithologic character 62 

Strike, dip, and thickness 64 

3 



4 CONTENTS. 

Geology — Continued. 

Cretaceous system — Continued. 

Upper Cretaceous series — Continued. Page. 

Ripley formation 64 

Areal distribution 64 

Stratigraphic position 64 

Lithologic character 64 

Strike, dip, and thickness 66 

Tertiary system 67 

Eocene series 67 

Midway formation 67 

Areal distribution 67 

Stratigraphic position 67 

Lithologic character 68 

Thickness 69 

Paleontologic character 69 

Physiographic expression 69 

Structure 70 

Wilcox formation 70 

Areal distribution 70 

Stratigraphic position 70 

Lithologic character 71 

Thickness 71 

Paleontologic character 72 

Physiographic expression 72 

Structure 72 

Claiborne group 73 

Subdivisions 73 

McBean formation 73 

Areal distribution 73 

Stratigraphic position 74 

Lithologic character 74 

Thickness 75 

Paleontologic character 76 

Physiographic expression 76 

Structure 77 

Congaree clay member 77 

Barnwell sand 79 

Areal distribution 79 

Stratigraphic position 79 

Lithologic character 80 

Thickness 80 

Paleontologic character 80 

Physiographic expression 80 

Structure 80 

Jackson formation 80 

Areal distribution 80 

Stratigraphic position 81 

Lithologic character and thickness 82 

Paleontologic character 82 

Physiographic expression 83 

Structure 83 

Oligocene series 83 

Yicksburg formation 83 

Areal distribution. ,,..,.,.,.,.,.„.,...,.......,...,.,,..,. 83 



CONTENTS. 5 

Geology — Continued. 

Tertiary system— Continued. 

Oligocene series — Continued. Page. 
Vicksburg formation — Continued. 

Stratigraphic position 83 

Lithologic character 84 

Thickness 85 

Paleontologic character 86 

Physiographic expression 86 

Structure 86 

Apalachicola group 86 

Chattahoochee formation 86 

Areal distribution 86 

Stratigraphic position 87 

Lithologic character 88 

Thickness 88 

Paleontologic character 88 

Physiographic expression. 89 

Structure 89 

Alum Bluff formation 89 

Areal distribution 89 

Stratigraphic position 91 

Lithologic character 92 

Thickness 93 

Paleontologic character 93 

Physiographic expression 93 

Structure 94 

Undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive 94 

Miocene series 97 

General features 97 

Marks Head marl 98 

Areal distribution and structure 98 

Stratigraphic position 98 

Lithologic character and thickness 98 

Paleontologic character 99 

Duplin marl 99 

Areal distribution and structure 99 

Stratigraphic position 99 

Lithologic character 99 

Paleontologic character 100 

Pliocene (?) series 100 

Distribution 100 

Charlton formation 101 

Quaternary system 102 

Pleistocene series 102 

Subdivisions 102 

Columbia group 103 

Okefenokee formation 103 

Distribution and character 103 

Coastal terrace deposits 104 

Fluviatile terrace deposits 105 

Satilla formation 107 

Deposition 107 

Coastal terrace deposits 107 

Fluviatile terrace deposits 110 



G CONTENTS. 

G eology — Continued . 

Quaternary system— Continued. Page. 

Recent series Ill 

Surflcial gray sands of the upland 112 

Water supply 115 

Source and amount 115 

Disposition 11G 

Run-off 116 

Evaporation 117 

Vegetation 117 

Chemical absorption 117 

Underground water storage 118 

Surface waters 118 

Streams 118 

Lakes and ponds : 118 

Underground waters 119 

Water table 119 

Quality of water .' 119 

Artesian waters. 120 

Definition 120 

Importance 120 

Controlling conditions 120 

Conditions in the Coastal Plain of Georgia 121 

Nonartesian waters 122 

Use of underground waters in the Coastal Plain of Georgia 123 

Springs 123 

Shallow wells 123 

Artesian wells 123 

Stratigraphic distribution of underground waters 124 

Water in Cretaceous system 124 

Lower Cretaceous series 124 

Upper Cretaceous series 125 

Eutaw formation 125 

Ripley formation 125 

Water in Tertiary system 127 

Eocene series 127 

Midway formation 127 

Wilcox formation 127 

Claiborne group 127 

Jackson formation 129 

Oligocene series 129 

Vicksburg formation 129 

Chattahoochee formation 130 

Alum Bluff formation 130 

Miocene series 131 

Pliocene (?) series 132 

Undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive 132 

Water in Quaternary system 132 

Pleistocene series 132 

County descriptions 133 

Appling County 133 

General features 133 

Topography 133 

Geology 134 



CONTENTS. 7 

County descriptions — Continued. 

Appling County — Continued. Page. 

Water resources 134 

Distribution and character 134 

Local supplies 134 

Baxley 134 

New Lacey 135 

Baker County 135 

General features 135 

Topography 135 

Geology , 136 

Water resources. 136 

Distribution and character 136 

Local supplies 137 

Newton 137 

Elmodel , 137 

Mimmsville 138 

Baldwin County 138 

General features 138 

Topography 138 

Geology 138 

Water resources 139 

Distribution and character 139 

Local supplies 139 

Milledgeville 139 

Stevens Pottery 140 

Ben Hill County. 140 

General features 140 

Topography 140 

Geology 140 

Water resources 140 

Distribution and character 140 

Local supplies 141 

Fitzgerald 141 

Bowens Mill 142 

Berrien County 142 

General features 142 

Topography 142 

Geology , 143 

Water resources 143 

Distribution and character 143 

Local supplies 144 

Adel 144 

Sparks 144 

Nashville 144 

Milltown 144 

Heartsease 145 

Bibb County 146 

General features 146 

Topography 146 

Geology 146 

Water resources 147 

Distribution and character 147 



8 CONTENTS. 

County descriptions — Continued . 
Bibb County — Continued. 

Water resources — Continued. Page. 

Local supplies 148 

Macon 148 

Walden 148 

Seven miles south of Macon 149 

White Elk Spring 149 

Tufts Springs 150 

Bleckley County 151 

Brooks County 152 

General features 152 

Topography 152 

Geology 152 

Water resources 153 

Distribution and character 153 

Local supplies 154 

Quitman 154 

Barwick 155 

Morven 155 

Bryan County 156 

General features , 156 

Topography 156 

Geology 157 

Water resources 157 

Distribution and character , 157 

Local supplies 158 

Ways 158 

Keller 158 

Fort McAllister 159 

Pembroke 159 

Clyde 160 

Boding 160 

Ossabaw Island 160 

Belfast 160 

Bulloch County 162 

General features 162 

Topography 162 

Geology 162 

Water resources 163 

Distribution and character 163 

Local supplies 163 

Statesboro 163 

Burke County 164 

General features 164 

Topography 165 

Geology 165 

Water resources 166 

Distribution and character 166 

Local supplies 166 

Waynesboro 166 

Midville 16S 

Greens Cut 168 

Gough 169 

Girard 169 



CONTENTS. 9 

County descriptions — Continued. Page. 

Calhoun County 170 

General features 170 

Topography 170 

Geology 171 

Water resources 171 

Distribution and character 171 

Local supplies 171 

Arlington 171 

Leary 172 

Edison 173 

Morgan. .' 173 

Cordray Mill 173 

Camden County 175 

General features 175 

Topography 176 

Geology 176 

Water resources 177 

Distribution and character 177 

Local supplies 177 

St. Marys 177 

Kingsland 178 

Tarboro 178 

Charlton County 181 

General features 181 

Topography 181 

Geology 181 

Water resources 182 

Distribution and character 182 

Local supplies 182 

Folkston 182 

Burnt Fort 182 

Chatham County 183 

General features 183 

Topography 183 

Geology 184 

Water resources 185 

Distribution and character 185 

Local supplies 185 

Savannah 185 

Tybee Island 189 

Pooler 189 

Montgomery 190 

Burroughs 190 

Chattahoochee County 192 

General features 192 

Topography 192 

Geology 192 

Water resources 193 

Distribution and character 193 

Local supplies 194 

Cusseta 194 

Rural supplies 194 



10 CONTENTS. 

County descriptions — Continued. Page. 

Clay County 196 

General features 196 

Topography 196 

Geology 196 

Water resources 197 

Distribution and character 197 

Local supplies 197 

Fort Gaines 197 

Henry County, Ala 199 

Bluff ton 199 

Clinch County 200 

General features 200 

Topography 200 

Geology- 201 

Water resources 201 

Coffee County 202 

General features 202 

Topography 202 

Geology 203 

Water resources 203 

Distribution and character 203 

Local supplies 204 

Douglas , 204 

Broxton 204 

Willacoochee 204 

Colquitt County 205 

General features 205 

Topography 205 

Geology 206 

Water resources 206 

Distribution and character 206 

Local supplies 206 

Moultrie 206 

Doerun 207 

Norman Park 207 

Columbia County 208 

General features 208 

Topography 208 

Geology ". 209 

Water resources 209 

Crawford County. 209 

General features 209 

Topography 209 

Geology 210 

Water resources 210 

Crisp County 212 

General features 212 

Topography 213 

Geology 213 

Water resources 214 

Distribution and character 214 

Local supplies 214 

Cordele 214 

Coney and vicinity 215 



CONTENTS. 11 

County descriptions — Continued. Page. 

Decatur County 218 

General features 218 

Topography 218 

Geology 219 

Water resources 219 

Distribution and character 219 

Local supplies 220 

Bainbridge : 220 

Donaldson ville 221 

Iron City 221 

Lela 221 

Dodge County 224 

General features 224 

Topography 224 

Geology 224 

Water resources . 225 

Distribution and character 225 

Local supplies 225 

Eastman 225 

Chester 225 

Chauncey 226 

Jay Bird Spring 226 

Wild Rose Mineral Spring 226 

Rhine 226 

Dooly County 228 

General features 228 

Topography 228 

Geology.' 228 

Water resources 229 

Distribution and character 229 

Local supplies 229 

Vienna 229 

Unadilla 230 

Byrom ville 230 

Pinehurst 231 

Richwood 231 

Dooling 232 

Dougherty County 233 

General features 233 

Topography 233 

Geology 234 

Water resources 235 

Distribution and character 235 

Local supplies 235 

Albany 235 

Kioka Place 239 

Ducker station 240 

Putney 240 

Pretoria 240 

Blue Spring 240 

Early County 243 

General features 243 

Topography 243 



12 CONTENTS. 

County descriptions — Continued. 

Early County — Continued. p age . 

Geology 243 

Water resources 244 

Distribution and character 244 

Local supplies 245 

Blakely 245 

Damascus 245 

Cowarts station 246 

Other localities 246 

Echols County 248 

General features 248 

Topography 248 

Geology 248 

Water resources 249 

Effingham County 249 

General features 249 

Topography 249 

Geology 250 

Water resources 250 

Distribution and character 250 

Local supplies 251 

Springfield 251 

Eden 251 

Egypt 251 

Guyton 251 

Meldrim 252 

Emanuel County 253 

General features '. 253 

Topography 253 

Geology 253 

Water resources 254 

Distribution and character 254 

Local supplies 255 

Swainsboro 255 

Stillmore 255 

Adrian 255 

Garfield 255 

Glascock County 256 

General features 256 

Topography 256 

Geology 257 

Water resources 257 

Distribution and character 257 

Local supplies 257 

Gibson 257 

Glynn County 258 

General features 258 

Topography 258 

Geology 258 

Water resources 259 

Distribution and character 259 

Local supplies 260 

Brunswick 260 

Thalman 261 



CONTENTS. 13 

County descriptions — Continued. 
Glynn County — Continued. 

Water resources — Continued. 

Local supplies — Continued. Page. 

Jointer Island 261 

St. Simons Island 261 

Bladen 263 

Everett City 263 

Crispin 263 

Evelyn 264 

Jeykl Island 264 

Grady County. 267 

General features 267 

Topography 267 

Geology 268 

Water resources 268 

Distribution and character 268 

Local supplies 268 

Cairo 268 

Whigham 269 

Calvary 269 

Beachton 269 

Hancock County 270 

General features 270 

Topography 270 

Geology 270 

Water resources 271 

Houston County 271 

General features 271 

Topography 271 

Geology 272 

Water resources 273 

Distribution and character 273 

Local supplies 274 

Fort Valley 274 

Perry 276 

Other localities 277 

Irwin County 279 

General features 279 

Topography 279 

Geology 279 

Water resources 280 

Distribution and character 280 

Local supplies 280 

Ocilla : 280 

Jeff Davis County 281 

General features 281 

Topography 281 

Geology 281 

Water resources 282 

Distribution and character 282 

Local supplies 282 

Hazelharst 282 

Goldsmith 283 



14 CONTENTS. 

County descriptions — Continued. p age- 

Jefferson County 284 

General features 284 

Topography 284 

Geology 285 

Water resources 285 

Distribution and character 285 

Local supplies 286 

Louisville 286 

Wadley 288 

Bartow 288 

Spread 289 

Wrens 289 

Jenkins County 291 

General features 291 

Topography 291 

Geology 291 

Water resources 292 

Distribution and character 292 

Local supplies 293 

Millen 293 

Perkins 293 

Herndon 293 

Rogers 294 

Scarboro 294 

Johnson County 296 

General features 296 

Topography 296 

Geology 296 

Water resources 297 

Distribution and character 297 

Local supplies 297 

Wrightsville , 297 

Idylwild 298 

Kite 298 

Jones County 299 

General features 299 

Topography 299 

Geology 300 

Water resources 300 

Ijaurens County 301 

General features 301 

Topography 301 

Geology 302 

Water resources 302 

Distribution and character 302 

Local supplies. . 303 

Dublin.. 303 

Dexter 303 

Tingle 303 

Rentz 303 

Limestone springs 304 

Lee County 305 

General features 305 

Topography 305 



CONTENTS. 15 

County descriptions — Continued. 

Lee County — Continued. Page. 

Geology 306 

Water resources 306 

Distribution and character 306 

Local supplies 306 

Leesburg 306 

Smithville 307 

Armena 308 

Adams 308 

Philema. 308 

Liberty County 310 

General features : 310 

Topography 310 

Geology.. 311 

Water resources 312 

Distribution and character 312 

Local supplies 312 

Ludowici 312 

Donald 313 

Allenhurst 314 

Flemington 314 

St. Catherines Island 314 

Other localities 315 

Lowndes County 316 

General features 316 

Topography 316 

Geology 317 

Water resources 317 

Distribution and character 317 

Local supplies 318 

Valdosta 318 

McDuffie County 321 

General features 321 

Topography 321 

Geology 321 

Water resources 321 

Mcintosh County 322 

General features 322 

Topography 323 

Geology 323 

Water resources 323 

Distribution and character 323 

Local supplies 324 

Darien 324 

Valona 325 

Sapelo light station .- 325 

Barrington 326 

Wolf Island 326 

Creighton Island 326 

Doboy 326 

Macon County 328 

General features 328 

Topography - 328 

Geology 328 



16 CONTENTS. 

County descriptions — Continued . 

Macon County — Continued. p age . 

Water resources 329 

Distribution and character 329 

Local supplies 330 

Oglethorpe 330 

Montezuma 330 

Six miles north of Montezuma 332 

Marshallville 332 

Miona Springs 332 

Marion County 334 

General features 334 

Topography 334 

Geology 334 

Water resources 335 

Distribution and character 335 

Local supplies 336 

Buena Vista. - 336 

Doyle 337 

Spring near Tazewell 337 

Spring near Putnam 338 

Miller County 338 

General features 338 

Topography 338 

Geology 338 

Water resources 339 

Distribution and character. 339 

Local supplies 339 

Colquitt 339 

Babcock 340 

Mitchell County 341 

General features 341 

Topography 341 

. Geology 341 

Water resources 342 

Distribution and character 342 

Local supplies 343 

Camilla 343 

Pelham 343 

Flint 344 

Montgomery County 344 

General features , 344 

Topography 345 

Geology 345 

Water resources 345 

Distribution and character 345 

Local supplies 346 

Mount Vernon 346 

McArthur plantation 346 

Higgston 346 

Ochwalkee 347 

Soperton 347 

McRae 347 

Kibbee 347 



CONTENTS. 17 

County descriptions — Continued. p ag e. 

Muscogee County 348 

General features 348 

Topography 348 

Geology 349 

Water resources 350 

Distribution and character 350 

Local supplies 350 

Columbus 350 

Pierce County 355 

General features. . , 355 

Topography 355 

Geology 355 

Water resources 356 

Distribution and character 356 

Local supplies 356 

Blackshear 356 

Offerman. 357 

Ice 358 

Pulaski County 359 

General features 359 

Topography 359 

Geology 359 

Water resources 360 

Distribution and character 360 

Local supplies 360 

Hawkinsville 360 

Cochran 361 

Quitman County , 362 

General features 362 

Topography 362 

Geology 362 

Water resources . 363 

Distribution and character 363 

Local supplies 364 

Well of J. F. Hogan 364 

Eufaula, Ala 364 

Randolph County 365 

General features 365 

Topography 365 

Geology 365 

Water resources 366 

Distribution and character 366 

Local supplies 367 

Cuthbert. . . , 367 

Shellman 367 

Richmond County i . . .■ . 369 

General features 369 

Topography 369 

Geology 369 

Water resources - 370 

Distribution and character 370 

Local supplies 371 

Augusta 371 

Somerville 372 

38418°— wsp 341—15 2 



18 CONTENTS. 

County descriptions — Continued. 
Richmond County — Continued. 
Water resources — Continued. 

Local supplies — Continued. Page. 

Gracewood 372 

Windsor Spring 373 

chley County 375 

General features 375 

Topography 375 

Geology 375 

Water resources 376 

Distribution and character 376 

Local supplies 376 

Ellaville 376 

Screven County 377 

General features 377 

Topography 377 

Geology 377 

Water resources 378 

Distribution and character 378 

Local supplies 379 

Sylvania 379 

Rockyford 380 

Dover 380 

Millhaven 380 

Mears 380 

Hershman 381 

Stewart County 383 

General features 383 

Topography 384 

Geology 384 

Water resources 385 

Distribution and character 385 

Local supplies 386 

Lumpkin 386 

Richland 386 

Omaha 387 

Coffinton 387 

Other localities 387 

Sumter County 391 

General features 391 

Topography 391 

Geology 391 

Water resources 392 

Distribution and character 392 

Local supplies 393 

Americus 393 

Plains 397 

Magnolia Spring 397 

Sumter 398 

Huguenin 398 

Andersonville 398 

Old Danville 398 

Leslie 398 



CONTENTS. 19 

County descriptions — Continued. Page. 

Talbot County 401 

General features 401 

Topography 401 

Geology 401 

Water resources 401 

Tattnall County 402 

General features 402 

Topography 402 

Geology 402 

Water resources 403 

Distribution and character 403 

Local supplies 403 

Reidsville 403 

Claxton , 404 

Collins 405 

Other localities 405 

Taylor County 406 

General features 406 

Topography 406 

Geology 407 

Water resources 407 

Distribution and character 407 

Local supplies 408 

Reynolds 408 

Other localities 409 

Telfair County 411 

General features 411 

Topography 411 

Geology 411 

Water resources 412 

Distribution and character 412 

Local supplies 412 

Helena 412 

McRae 413 

Scotland 413 

Towns 413 

Lumber City 413 

Shamrock Springs 414 

Terrell County 415 

General features 415 

Topography 416 

Geology 416 

Water resources 417 

Distribution and character 417 

Local supplies 417 

Dawson 417 

Parrott 418 

Graves station 418 

Sasser 418 

Thomas County 420 

General features 420 

Topography 420 

Geology 420 



20 - CONTENTS. 

County descriptions— Continued . 

Thomas County — Continued. Page. 

Water resources 421 

Distribution and character 421 

Local supplies 422 

Thomasville 422 

Boston 422 

Pavo 423 

Tift County 424 

General features 424 

Topography 425 

Geology 425 

Water resources 425 

Distribution and character 425 

Local supplies 426 

Tifton 426 

Toombs County 428 

General features 428 

Topography 428 

Geology 429 

Water resources 429 

Distribution and character 429 

Local supplies 430 

Lyons 430 

Vidalia 430 

Turner County 432 

General features 432 

Topography 432 

Geology 432 

Water resources 433 

Distribution and character 433 

Local supplies 433 

Ashburn 433 

Worth 433 

Twiggs County '. 434 

General features 434 

Topography 434 

Geology 434 

Water resources 435 

Ware County 435 

General features 435 

Topography 435 

Geology 436 

Water resources 436 

Distribution and character 436 

Local supplies 437 

Waycross 437 

Beach 439 

Warren County 441 

General features 441 

Topography 441 

Geology 441 

Water resources 441 

Washington County 442 

General features 442 



CONTENTS. 21 

County descriptions — Continued. 

Washington County — Continued. Page. 

Topography 442 

Geology 442 

Water resources 443 

Distribution and character 443 

Local supplies 444 

Sandersville 444 

Tennille 445 

Oconee 445 

Chalker 446 

Davisboro 446 

Mineral Spring 446 

Wayne County 448 

General features 448 

Topography .- 448 

Geology 449 

Water resources 449 

Distribution and character 449 

Local supplies 450 

Jesup 450 

Mount Pleasant 451 

Doctortown 452 

Webster County 455 

General features 455 

Topography 455 

Geology 455 

Water resources 456 

Distribution and character 456 

Local supplies 456 

Preston 456 

Wheeler County 457 

Wilcox County 457 

General features 457 

Topography 457 

Geology 457 

Water resources - 458 

Distribution and character 458 

Local supplies 458 

Abbeville 458 

Rochelle 459 

Pineview 460 

Pitts . 460 

Poor Robin Spring 460 

Wilkinson County 461 

General features 461 

Topography 461 

Geology 462 

Water resources 462 

Distribution and character 462 

Local supplies 463 

Irwinton 463 

Toomsboro 463 

Gordon 464 



22 CONTENTS. 

County descriptions — Continued. Page. 

Worth County 464 

General features 464 

Topography 464 

Geology 465 

Water resources 466 

Distribution and character 466 

Local supplies : 466 

Sylvester 466 

Poulan 466 

Warwick 467 

Doles 467 

Oakfield 467 

Chemical character of waters of the Coastal Plain of Georgia, by R. B. Dole 470 

Standards for classification 470 

Mineral constituents of water 470 

Uses of water 471 

Water for boiler use 471 

Formation of scale 471 

Corrosion 472 

Foaming 473 

Remedies for boiler troubles 473 

Boiler compounds 474 

Numerical standards 475 

Water for miscellaneous industrial uses 478 

General requisites 478 

Effects of dissolved and suspended materials 479 

Free acids 479 

Suspended matter 480 

Color 480 

Iron 480 

Calcium and magnesium 481 

Carbonates 482 

Sulphates 482 

Chlorides 482 

Organic matter 483 

Hydrogen sulphide 483 

Miscellaneous substances 483 

Water for domestic use 483 

Physical qualities 483 

Bacteriologic qualities 484 

Chemical qualities 485 

Mineral matter and potability 486 

Water for medicinal use 487 

Purification of water 489 

General requirements 489 

Methods of purification 490 

Slow sand filtration 491 

Rapid sand filtration ." 493 

Cold-water softening 494 

Feed-water heating 495 

Chemical composition of surface waters 497 

Chemical composition of the ground waters 505 

Analytical results 505 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 23 

Chemical character of waters of the Coastal Plain of Georgia — Continued. 

Chemical composition of the ground waters — Continued. Page. 

Relation of quality to water-bearing stratum 507 

Principal water-bearing strata 507 

Lower Cretaceous series 508 

Upper Cretaceous series 510 

Eocene series 514 

Midway formation 514 

Claiborne group 515 

Jackson formation 517 

Miscellaneous strata 518 

Oligocene series 520 

Vicksburg formation 520 

Chattahoochee formation 523 

Alum Bluff formation 524 

Miscellaneous strata 525 

Undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive 526 

Summary 528 

Quality in relation to geographic position 530 

Relation of quality to depth 530 

Economic value of the waters 531 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Page. 
Plate I. A, "Sand stream" 1 mile north of Tazewell, Marion County; B, 

Sink in limestone of the Chattahoochee formation near 

Recovery, Decatur County 34 

II. A, Satilla terrace plain immediately west of New Savannah Bluff, 

Savannah River, Richmond County; B, Satilla terrace 

plain bordering St. Marys River (Florida side), opposite 

Traders Hill, Charlton County 35 

III. Geologic map of the Coastal Plain of Georgia 52 

IV. A-A, Section from Columbus, Ga., to the Florida State line south of 

Thomasville, Ga. ; B-B, Section from a locality near Macon, 

Ga. , to the mouth of St. Marys River 52 

V. A, Thomas Bluff, Chattahoochee River, showing Lower Cretaceous 
strata; B, Cut on Columbus-Macon road, showing indurated 

layer of Lower Cretaceous arkose 60 

VI. A, Bank of Chattahoochee River at Broken Arrow Bend, showing 
concretions in the Eutaw formation; B, Bluff below Banks 
Landing, Chattahoochee River, showing sands and clays in 

Tombigbee sand member of the Eutaw formation 62 

VII. A, Slick Bluff, Chattahoochee River, showing clay of the Eutaw 
formation; B, Cut on Columbus-Lumpkin road, showing 

unconsolidated sand of the Eutaw formation 63 

VIII. A, Narrows of Pataula Creek, showing calcareous marine sand of the 
Ripley formation containing indurated layers; B, Waterfall 
at upper end of narrows of Pataula Creek 64 



24 ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 
Plate IX. A, Cut on Seaboard Air Line Railway at Manta station, showing 
Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation; B, Gully 
10£ miles northeast of Georgetown, showing Providence sand 

member of the Ripley formation 65 

X. A, McBean formation (of the Claiborne group) on an island at the 
mouth of Omusee Creek; B, Ostrea georgiana from the 

McBean formation at Shell Bluff, Savannah River 74 

XI. A, Cut on Macon. Dublin & Savannah Railroad at Pikes Peak sta- 
tion, showing the Congaree clay member of the McBean 
formation; B, Flint and limestone of the Vicksburg forma- 
tion just above De Witt Ferry, Flint River 78 

XII. A, Limestone of Chattahoochee formation on Withlacoochee River 
at New Bridge (or Horn Bridge); B, Alum Bluff formation, 
Altamaha River 86 

XIII. Alum Bluff formation, Marks Head marl, and Duplin marl, Porters 

Landing, Savannah River 90 

XIV. A, Quartzite of the Alum Bluff formation; B, Lower Sisters Bluff, 

Altamaha River, showing sands and clays of the Alum Bluff 

formation 91 

XV. A, Greenish-gray argillaceous feldspathic sandstone of the Alum 
Bluff formation; B, Weathered phase of late Oligocene beds 

west of Cairo, showing characteristic mottling 94 

XVI. A, Charlton formation, St. Marys River (Florida side); B, Beards 
Bluff, Altamaha River, showing prominent clay layer in 

the Satilla formation 100 

XVII. A, Pleistocene terrace gravel (Okefenokee formation) in Columbus- 
Lumpkin road; B, Sand used in the manufacture of glass 

(probably Okefenokee formation) 106 

XVIII. Map of the underground water resources of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia 122 

XIX. A, Wade Spring, 7 miles east of Quitman; B, Rice and lumber mill 

at Tarboro 152 

XX. A, Stream flowing from Blue Spring, 4 miles south of Albany; B, 

Public fountain at Americus 240 

XXI. A, Public flowing well at Oglethorpe; B, Flowing well owned by 

E. J. Wilson, Montezuma 330 

Figure 1. Sketch map showing physiographic divisions of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia. 29 

2. Sketch map of the Coastal Plain of Georgia showing the relation of 

the drainage to the geologic structure 58 

3 . Section illustrating the more important conditions governing artesian 

pressure in the Coastal Plain of Georgia 122 

4. Sketch map showing distribution of test wells near Columbus 353 



UNDERGROUND WATER RESOURCES OF THE COASTAL 
PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



By L. W. Stephenson and J. O. Veatch. 



INTRODUCTION. 

This report embodies the results of studies of the geology and 
underground-water resources of the Coastal Plain of Georgia made 
in accordance with an agreement entered into in 1908 between the 
Geological Survey of Georgia and the United States Geological 
Survey. The object of the investigations was to determine so far as 
possible with the appropriations available the composition, structure, 
and stratigraphic relations of the deposits of the Coastal Plain and 
the geologic position, quality, quantity, and economic adaptability 
of the waters they contain. 

S. W. McCallie, State geologist, assigned J. O. Veatch, assistant 
State geologist, to conduct the investigations on the part of the State 
Survey, and T. Wayland Vaughan, of the United States Geological 
Survey, assigned L. W. Stephenson to carry on the work for the 
Federal Survey. It was also arranged that B,. B. Dole, chemist, United 
States Geological Survey, should discuss the chemistry of the under- 
ground waters with especial reference to their economic value. 

According to the agreement with the State Survey the results of the 
investigations were to be published in two volumes, one treating of 
the geology of the area, to be issued by the State Survey, and the other 
treating of the underground- water resources, to be issued by the 
Federal Survey. The former was published in 1912 as Bulletin 26 of 
the Geological Survey of Georgia. It was originally intended that 
Mr. Veatch should be the senior author of the present report, but 
owing to his resignation from the State Survey before the manuscript 
was completed the larger part of the work was done by Mr. Stephen- 
son, who therefore becomes the senior author. 

The data upon which the present volume is based were collected in 
part during the progress of the field studies, in part by correspondence 
with postmasters, municipal authorities, well and spring owners, and 
well drillers, and in part by laboratory studies which consisted chiefly 
in making analyses of underground waters. Most of the analyses 
were performed by Edgar Everhart, State chemist of Georgia. 

25 



26 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

In the preparation of the report Stephenson gave his attention 
especially to the underground waters contained in the Cretaceous 
deposits, which outcrop in a relatively small area in the northern and 
northwestern parts of the Coastal Plain, and Veatch gave his atten- 
tion to the Tertiary and Quaternary deposits, which outcrop over 
much the greater portion of the area. The two reports were combined 
by Stephenson, who incorporated with them an appreciable amount 
of new data subsequently obtained by correspondence. 

The report is necessarily largely a compilation of data collected 
from many sources. The account of the physiography and geology 
of the area is mainly that given in Bulletin 26 of the State Survey, 
slightly modified by later information. The account of the water 
resources includes, in addition to the data obtained during the progress 
of the investigations, all the more important available published 
information, particularly that contained in bulletins of the State 
Survey and chiefly in Bulletin 15, published in 1908, of which S. W. 
McCallie is the author. 

The authors express their thanks to T. W. Vaughan, of the United 
States Geological Survey, and S. W. McCallie, of the State Survey. 
The correlation. of the fossiliferous marine Tertiary and Quaternary 
formations and the interpretation of their stratigraphic relations are 
based largely upon the paleontologic studies of Mr. Vaughan, who 
also has had active supervision of the field and office work. Prof. 
McCallie has been persistent in his endeavors to furnish data from all 
possible sources. 

It is manifestly impossible to mention here the names of all those 
who have contributed to the material used in the report. The 
authors, however, have endeavored throughout the report to indicate 
the source of the data presented, and in this way they have acknowl- 
edged many individual contributions. Besides making these indi- 
vidual acknowledgments, they desire to express their great apprecia- 
tion of the public-spirited manner in which many other persons have 
responded, to their requests for information. 

PHYSIOGRAPHY. 1 

The major physiographic divisions of Georgia are the Cumberland 
Plateau, the Appalachian Valley, the Appalachian Mountains, the 
Piedmont Plateau, and the Coastal Plain. 

CUMBERLAND PLATEAU. 

The Cumberland Plateau is made up of flat-topped mountains or 
table-lands of Carboniferous strata. It is represented in Georgia by 
Lookout, Pigeon, and Sand or Raccoon mountains, which occupy 

1 Reprinted with some modifications and revisions from the description by Mr. Veatch in Georgia 
Geol. Survey Bull. 26, pp. 25-50, 1911. 



PHYSIOGEAPHY. 27 

a small area in Dade and Walker counties, 1,500 to 2,300 feet above 
sea level. These mountains rise 700 to 1,400 feet above the valleys 
and are characterized by comparatively flat tops and steep, pre- 
cipitous sides. They owe their form to the resistant character and 
synclinal structure of the rocks capping them. 

APPALACHIAN VALLEY. 

The Appalachian Valley lies between the Cumberland Plateau on 
the west and the Appalachian Mountains on the east. Considered 
as a whole it is a valley, but within itself it is a region of parallel 
ridges and corresponding subordinate valleys. It is 40 to 50 miles 
wide and extends from the Tennessee line to the southern part of 
Polk County and across the State line into Alabama. It is limited 
on the east by an abrupt scarp of semicrystalline schists of the 
Appalachian Mountain area, the Cartersville fault line. Geologically, 
it lies within the Paleozoic area and is a region of intensely folded 
limestones, sandstones, and shales. The ridges run north and south, 
are generally steepsided, and owe their existence both to their struc- 
ture and to the resistant character of the rocks composing them. 
The valleys have been eroded from the softer strata. The ridges are 
1,000 to 1,800 feet and the valleys 600 to 900 feet above sea level. 

APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS. 

The Appalachian Mountain area comprises mainly the Blue Ridge, 
but includes lesser mountain groups both to the east and west. It 
occupies the northeast and north-central parts of the State, including 
practically all of Rabun, Towns, Union, and Fannin counties, and 
parts of Habersham, White, Lumpkin, Dawson, Pickens, Gilmer, 
and Murray counties. The Blue Ridge enters the State in Rabun 
and Towns counties and loses its distinctively mountainous character 
in Pickens County. The region is vastly more complex geologically 
than either the Appalachian Valley or the Cumberland Plateau, being 
composed of igneous rocks and highly metamorphosed sediments that 
have been subjected to great orogenic movements, intense folding 
and faulting, and erosion since early geologic time. The topography 
is more rugged and more varied and shows greater irregularity in 
drainage and less dependence upon the strike of the rock. The 
highest elevation above sea level is about 5,000 feet, and a large 
number of the "balds" or knobs rise above 4,000 feet. 

PIEDMONT PLATEAU. 

The Piedmont Plateau lies between the Appalachian Mountains 
and the Coastal Plain. The general surface of the plateau inclines 
slightly seaward from elevations of 1,600 to 1,800 feet above sea 
level in the north to a slow as 400 feet in places in the south. The 



28 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

plateau surface, according to an oral statement of Mr. Arthur Keith, 
is divisible into at least two plains. The higher plain lies immediately 
south of the Appalachian Mountains in portions of Stephens, Haber- 
sham, Banks, Hall, White, Gwinnett, Forsyth, Lumpkin, Dawson, 
Cherokee, Pickens, Bartow, Gordon, and Gilmer counties, at eleva- 
tions of 1,200 to 1,800 feet above sea level. The lower plain includes 
the remainder of the plateau southward to the border of the Coastal 
Plain and is separated from the higher plain by an escarpment 100 
to 200 feet high, which in most places is well defined. The plateau, 
like the Appalachian Mountain area, is a region of great rock com- 
plexity, but the beds, though subjected to intense folding and faulting, 
have been planated by erosion, and with the exception of a few con- 
spicuous monadnocks the land presents an even sky line. The 
streams, which commonly conform to the slope of the plain, have 
deeply trenched their courses, so that, although the general upland 
is at an approximately concordant level, the surface in detail is 
broken or hilly, in places approaching mountain ruggedness. 

COASTAL PLAIN. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

The Coastal Plain of Georgia includes practically all the State lying 
south of a line passing through Augusta, Macon, and Columbus, an 
area of approximately 35,000 square miles. It forms a part of the 
Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain of the eastern United States. 

Physiographically, the region is a low plain having a gentle south- 
ward slope. In comparison with the other physiographic divisions 
of the State this plain has been subjected to erosion for only a short 
time, and its topography over the greater part of the area may be 
described as youthful. On the whole the Coastal Plain is level, 
although it comprises some hilly and broken areas in the northern 
part near the fall line, where in places it is dissected and appears 
somewhat more mature. None of the hills, however, rise above a 
general level, and their tops present an even sky line. The rocks are 
mainly unconsolidated sands, clays, and marls of simple structure, 
and the region consequently lacks the pronounced topography due 
to resistant varieties of rock and the folding of beds that characterize 
the Appalachian Valley and Appalachian Mountains. The plain 
reaches a maximum elevation above sea level of 650 to 700 feet 
between Macon and Columbus, and of 500 to 600 feet between Macon 
and Augusta, and thence slopes gradually 3 to 4 feet per mile to sea 
level. About one-half of the plain is less than 300 feet, and a large 
area near the Atlantic coast, about one-seventh of the total, is less 
than 100 feet above sea level. Here the streams have not cut as 
deep courses as in the older divisions; tributary streams are fewer 



PHYSIOGRAPHY. 



29 



and large, flat, undrained or poorly drained areas abound, particu- 
larly in the southeastern part. 

PHYSIOGRAPHIC SUBDIVISIONS. 

Although the Coastal Plain may be described, in comparison with 
the Appalachian Valley, Appalachian Mountains, and Piedmont 
Plateau, as a plain, it is not entirely featureless, and within itself it 
presents topographic contrasts. It may be divided into six physio- 
graphic divisions^ — the fall-line hills, Dougherty plain, Altamaha up- 
land, southern lime-sink region, Okefenokee plain, and Satilla coastal 
lowland. (See fig. 1.) 




100 Miles 



Figure 1.— Sketch map showing physiographic divisions of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. 
FALL-LINE HILLS. 

The fall-line hills, as is indicated by their name, occupy the upper 
portion of the Coastal Plain, their northern boundary being that of 
the sediments of the Coastal Plain or approximately the fall line, 
south of which the division forms a belt 40 to 50 miles wide across the 
State. This belt, however, is not sharply defined, for on the north 
it merges into the Piedmont Plateau and on the south into the level 
and less broken land of the Dougherty plain and the Altamaha 
upland. In the fall-line hills, more than in any other division, the 



30 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

topographic features are due to surface erosion. Stream erosion is 
more active on account of the greater altitude and has been in progress 
for a greater period of time. The region is characterized by flat- 
topped hills or ridges and deep gullies or "washes." The larger 
streams have cut courses 200 to 350 feet below the level of the upland 
plain, and the northern portion of the belt is as broken as the adjacent 
Piedmont Plateau. The region is underlain mainly by sands and 
clays of Cretaceous and Eocene age and their softness has favored 
rapid erosion. 

In elevation above sea level the higher land west of Ocmulgee 
River varies from approximately 350 to 700 feet; that east of the 
Ocmulgee from 300 to 600 feet. The elevations of low water at 
Columbus, Macon, Milledgeville, and Augusta are, respectively, 190, 
279, 241, and 98 feet. 

Two types of hills are commonly recognized, the sand hills and 
the red hills. The sand hills are best developed in the more northerly 
part of the belt and are conspicuous in Richmond, Crawford, Taylor, 
Talbot, Marion, and other counties, and are really no more than flat 
ridges which have a notable covering of gray or brownish sand. 
This sand is almost pure quartz, incoherent or loose, and varies in 
thickness from 3 to 30 feet, though its average thickness is perhaps 
not more than 5 to 6 feet. This sand is probably residual from the 
underlying Cretaceous and Eocene formations. The soil is poorly 
productive, and the tree growth is mainly stunted oak and scattered 
long-leaf pine. 

The more southerly part of the fall-line belt consists mainly of red 
hills, in which the gray sand is less widely distributed. The soil of 
the hills is a bright-red sand or red sandy loam, which is residual 
from the underlying geologic formations, chiefly the Eocene. The 
red hills are conspicuous in Wilkinson, Twiggs, Houston, Macon, 
Sumter, Terrell, Randolph, and Stewart counties. 

The deep gullies, also known as "washes" and "caves," which 
appear in places in this region, are worthy of note. The softness of 
the strata, together with the high altitudes of the plain above the 
rivers, the removal of the timber, and the cultivation of the land, 
have especially favored rapid erosion, and some of the deepest gullies, 
100 to 175 feet, are known to have formed since the settlement of the 
country. The largest and most picturesque are located west and 
north of Lumpkin, Stewart County. The gullies at Providence, 8 
miles west of Lumpkin, are 100 to 175 feet in depth and from 200 
yards to one-fourth mile in length. Their greatest width is at the 
head, where a number of smaller gullies unite, so that in plan they are 
roughly bottle shaped or pear shaped. In transverse profile they are 
V-shaped, and in longitudinal profile roughly L-shaped, the horizontal 
leg being, of course, much longer than the vertical — that is, the 



PHYSIOGEAPHY. 31 

head of the gully is precipitous, and the gradient of the floor is so low- 
that the load of sand which is washed down is not carried far away 
but is spread out in deltas and sand streams. (See PI. I, A.) The 
strata in which the gullies are formed are unconsolidated sands con- 
taining soft clay layers and hence are easily eroded. The recession 
of the gullies has been very rapid, the deepest being known to have 
worked back 300 feet in about 30 years and to have washed out 10 
or 15 acres. Single caves or slumps 5 to 10 feet wide have taken 
place after very heavy rainstorms. These gullies are the most pic- 
turesque features of the Coastal Plain, presenting curious erosion 
forms, pinnacles, "islands" or blocks, and sharp serrated ridges, cut off 
from the adjacent upland, the whole rendered the more striking by the 
vivid color contrast of the bright-red and white sands with the dark- 
green pine tops. Similar deep washes or gullies appear in Quitman, 
Webster, Marion, Crawford, Houston, Twiggs, Wilkinson, and Wash- 
ington counties. The deep washes on the south side of Rich Hill, 
Crawford County, are, next to the Providence gullies, perhaps the 
most picturesque. The famous gullies 4 miles west of Milledgeville 
are properly within this area, although they are cut entirely in residual 
clay derived from granite, only a few remnants of sediments of the 
Coastal Plain appearing at this locality. These gullies, which are 
about 50 feet deep, were visited by Lyell in 1842 and were described 
by him in his Travels in North America. 

DOUGHERTY PLAIN. 

The Dougherty plain occupies a large area in the western part of 
the Coastal Plain, extending from the Chattahoochee to a few miles 
east of Flint River and including the greater part or all of the counties 
of Decatur, Miller, Mitchell, Early, Baker, Calhoun, Dougherty, Ran- 
dolph, Terrell, Lee, and Sumter. A small strip extends eastward 
from the Flint to the Oconee, including parts of Dooly, Houston, 
Pulaski, and Laurens counties. The plain is characterized by very 
level tracts, containing few elevations that can properly be termed 
hills. Small streams and branches are comparatively few, and surface 
erosion is consequently slight, the drainage being in large measure 
subterranean. The surface is further characterized by numerous 
lime sinks, which form shallow depressions in otherwise level tracts. 
The Dougherty plain includes most of the area underlain by the 
limestones of the Vicksburg formation. It is rather sharply differen- 
tiated from the Altamaha upland on the east and south but merges 
into the fall-line hills on the north. 

The elevation above sea level of the Dougherty plain varies from 
approximately 125 feet in Decatur County to 450 feet in the southern 
part of Houston County, much the greater portion being less than 300 
feet. 



32 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The sinks vary in size from small shallow depressions not more 
than 100 to 200 feet in diameter to hollows occupying several hundred 
acres and to chains of sinks several miles in length. The sinks usually 
contain shallow ponds or lakes, and the smaller ones generally support 
a thick growth of cypress and other trees. The amount of water in 
the ponds and lakes varies with the seasons, and during droughts the 
smaller ones become dry. A recent desiccation of the sinks is partly 
attributed to the removal of timber, which permits increased evapo- 
ration and oxidation of organic matter. Sinks are also known to have 
been suddenly drained through subterranean passages. 

The scarcity of small tributary creeks and branches is due not so 
much to the newness of the land surface as to the fact that much of 
the drainage is through subterranean streams. Most of the large 
creeks flow sluggishly through wide swampy valleys, and few of them 
have any considerable bluffs along their courses. Chattahoochee, 
Flint, and Ocmulgee rivers have cut deep terraced valleys 75 to 200 
feet below the plain but have comparatively few tributary streams. 

The main topographic features of the Dougherty plain have resulted 
from the relatively rapid removal in solution of the calcareous materials 
that form so large a part of the Vicksburg and the overlying Chat- 
tahoochee formation. 

ALTAMAHA UPLAND. 

The Altamaha upland constitutes the largest physiographic division 
of the Coastal Plain. Its northern boundary runs irregularly between 
Waynesboro, Tennille, Dublin, Cochran, and Vienna, and its western 
edge lies parallel to and a few miles east of Flint River for as far south 
as Decatur County. On the southeast, in Effingham, Liberty, Wayne, 
Pierce, Ware, and Clinch counties, it merges into the sandy pine flats 
of the Okefenokee plain. The division embraces most, of the region 
popularly known as the wire-grass country and is underlain by the 
Alum Bluff formation and by the weathered residual products of 
that formation or by younger material of similar lithology. The 
geology, topography, and flora of this region are of peculiar scientific 
interest and have been the subject of numerous papers and articles. 1 

The region can be called an upland only in comparison with the low 
coastal plain on the southeast and the adjacent Dougherty plain on 
the west; on the whole it is lower than the fall-line hills to the north. 
It varies in elevation above sea level from about 470 feet in the north 
and west to about 125 feet in the southeast, there being a gradual slope 
to the southeast. An ascent or escarpment prominent enough to be 

1 Loughridge, R. H., Cotton production of the State of Georgia: Tenth Census, vol. 6, Georgia, pp. 15 
and 49, 1884. Dall, W. H., U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 84, p. 81, 1891. Harper, B. M., Phytogeographical 
sketch of the Altamaha grit region of Georgia: Annals N. Y. Acad. Sci., vol. 17, pt. 1, 1906. McCallie, 
S. W., Underground waters of Georgia: Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 31-32, 1908. Veatch, Otto, 
Altamaha formation of the Coastal Plain of Georgia: Science, vol. 27, pp. 71-74, 1908. 



PHYSIOGRAPHY. 33 

distinguished by the observant traveler without the aid of topographic 
maps separates the upland from the Dougherty plain on the west. 
Tli* rise from Camilla to Pelham, Mitchell County, over the Atlantic 
Coast Line Railroad is 185 feet in 8 miles, and the rise from Bainbridge 
east to Climax is 1 75 feet. Arabi, in Crisp County, Sylvester, in Worth 
County, Pelham, hi Mitchell County, and Climax, in Decatur Countj^, 
may be considered as marking approximately the crest of the escarp- 
ment, from which the elevation gradually decreases to the southeast. 

Characteristic of the topography are low rolling-hills with smooth or 
softened outlines, which, except along the large rivers, do not rise more 
than 40 or 50 feet above the valleys. None of the features suggest 
ruggedness, yet at the same time the region is not monotonously level 
or flat. 

The soil is generally sandy and the country in places is thickly 
mantled with loose gray sand. The area was originally covered with 
a wonderful forest of long-leaf pine. A characteristic growth is the 
long, round-bladed, stiff wire grass, Aristida stricta, which grows in 
tufts 6 to 8 inches high. 

Streams are much more numerous than on the Dougherty plain and 
the coastal flats. Altamaha, Ocmulgee, and Oconee rivers have cut 
valleys 100 to 150 feet deep, bordered in a few places by precipitous 
bluffs, but except for these the valleys are shallow. Those of the 
small streams have low breastlike slopes and may be described as 
dish shaped. The creeks flow through broad swampy bottoms, are 
generally sluggish, and are characterized by clear water, free from 
sediment, in contrast to the muddy waters of the Ocmulgee, Oconee, 
and Altamaha. Many of the creeks and branches have their sources 
in flat, moist, densely wooded areas locally known as bays. The name 
"bay" is generally applied to upland, flat, swampy tracts due to 
imperfect drainage and dense vegetation which conserves the rainfall. 
These areas are really swamps but are not alluvial in character. 
duffs Bay, about 7 miles west of Waycross, is an example. The name 
is also applied to arms of creek and river swamps which form entrants 
into the dry land and which are characterized by a dense growth of 
bay trees. The bays contain water, but have no well-defined stream 
channels or runs, the water being furnished directly by rainfall and 
by seepage from the surrounding higher land. 

In the southeastern part of the Altamaha upland the land is more 
level and finally merges into the moist pine flats of the Okefenokee 
plain. Throughout this part small cypress ponds are numerous, the 
valleys of the small streams are more swampy, and the streams them- 
selves have banks not more than a foot or two high. The ponds 
appear to be the result of irregularities left in the land surface after 
the last retreat of the sea. 
38418°— wsp 341—15 3 



34 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Along the northern and western edges of the Altamaha upland in 
Screven, Wilcox, Crisp, Turner, Worth, and Decatur counties, sinks, 
due to the underground solution of limestone, most probably that of 
the Chattahoochee formation, were noted. 

Among the most interesting features of the Altamaha upland are 
the sand hills which border many of the creeks and rivers. These 
hills slope toward the streams, but many of them are only very 
slightly or not at all higher than the upland back from the stream. 
They are made up of gray, yellow, or light-brown, unconsolidated, 
structureless quartz sand, which in places reaches a thickness of 30 
feet. Some of the sand belts are 2 or 3 miles wide. They run parallel 
to the streams, generally on the east or left side. These sand hills 
seem to stand at higher elevations than the loose sand on the 
first and second Pleistocene terraces of the large rivers. The most 
prominent are those on the east side of Ohoopee River, in Tattnall 
County, near Reidsville; along the east side of Canoochee River; on 
Little Ocmulgee River near Helena; along Satilla River from Way- 
cross westward; and on the east and north sides of Pendleton Creek, 
in Emanuel and Toombs counties. At the foot of some of these hills 
are densely wooded, moist sand beds known as hammocks and in 
places shallow depressions, so-called sand-hill ponds, which contain 
water during rainy periods. The origin of these sands is not yet well 
understood. They may have been formed during the Pleistocene 
epoch and may be of fluviatile origin, but they have since been in 
part shifted by wind. 

In comparison with the Dougherty plain, the Altamaha upland has 
a rolling topography, more numerous streams, and fewer lime sinks. 
It is not so entirely featureless as the swampy tracts along the coast 
and is better drained. In contrast to the fall-line hills it lacks 
ruggedness, its valleys are shallower, and its flora is notably different. 1 

SOUTHERN LIME-SINK REGION. 

The southern lime-sink region occupies a small area in the southern 
part of the State, embracing the southeastern part of Decatur County, 
the southern halves of Grady, Thomas, Brooks, and Lowndes coun- 
ties, and adjacent areas in Florida. The topography is hilly and is 
characterized by lime sinks, lakes, and ponds. 

The surface varies from 150 to 275 feet above sea level, and the 
hills rise 50 to 75 feet and in a few places 100 feet above the valleys. 
The topography is more rugged than that of the adjacent Altamaha 
upland and the Dougherty plain, this difference and other charac- 
teristics of the division being due mainly to the differences in the 
underlying geologic formations. The lime sinks are due to the under- 

1 Ecological studies in this region have been made by Dr. R. M. Harper. See Annals New York Acad. 
Sci., vol. 17, pt. 1,1906. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE I 




A. "SAND STREAM" 1 MILE NORTH OF TAZEWELL, MARION COUNTY. 
The sand has been transported by torrents from gullies in the Cusseta sand member. 









■Pri-*-' % 




B. SINK IN LIMESTONE OF THE CHATTAHOOCHEE FORMATION NEAR RECOVERY, DECATUR 

COUNTY. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE II 




A. SATILLA TERRACE PLAIN IMMEDIATELY WEST OF NEW SAVANNAH BLUFF, 

RICHMOND COUNTY. 
An escarpment bounding the plain on the west appears in the distance. 




.LA TERRACE PLAIN BORDERING ST. MARYS RIVER (FLORIDA SIDE), OPPOSITE TRADERS 
HILL, CHARLTON COUNTY. 
The escarpment separates the terrace from the Okefenokee terrace plain. 



PHYSIOGRAPHY. 3 5 

ground solution of an upper Oligocene limestone, the Chattahoochee 
formation, which except in small areas is not the surface formation 
but which is overlain by 50 to 100 feet of sand and clay, whose soft 
and easily eroded character probably accounts for its greater rugged- 
ness as compared with the western lime-sink region (Dougherty 
plain). The lakes and ponds occupy depressions caused by the col- 
lapse of underground solution caverns in limestones. (See PL I, 
B.) Some of the lakes cover areas of several hundred acres and are 
free from timber growth, but the smaller and shallower ponds support 
a thick growth of cypress. Ocean Pond, in the southern part of 
Lowndes County, is one of the largest, having an area of about 6 
square miles. The water in these sinks varies with the seasons but 
has been known suddenly to disappear or to rise, owing probably 
to the opening or closing of underground passages. 

The drainage, as in the Dougherty plain, is to some extent subter- 
ranean and small streams are not numerous. The rivers of the 
region, the Ochlockonee, the Withlacoochee, and other smaller 
streams, flow canal-like through broad sand-covered terrace plains. 
The water of the streams is not muddy but is dark on account of dis- 
solved and suspended organic matter; that of the lakes is clear. 

The soil is in many places red sandy clay. Superficial gray sand 
such as characterizes the Altamaha upland is not so widely dis- 
tributed. The tree growth differs somewhat from that of the wire- 
grass region to the north, some oak and hickory being associated 
with the long-leaf pine. 

OKEFENOKEE PLAIN. 

The Okefenokee plain forms a north-south belt 20 to 40 miles wide 
in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain, including parts of 
Effingham, Bryan, Liberty, Wayne, Pierce, Camden, Ware, Charlton, 
Clinch, and Echols counties. On the west it is bounded approxi- 
mately by a line extending from the northeast corner of Effingham 
County southwestward nearly to Groveland, Bryan County, thence 
to a point a few miles south of Glenville, thence nearly to Jesup and 
Waycross, and thence along the western boundary of the Okefenokee 
Swamp. The escarpment separating the plain from the Altamaha 
upland is poorly defined, and in places the two seem to merge. On 
the east the plain is separated from a lower coastal terrace by an 
abrupt descent or escarpment. (See p. 36.) 

The Okefenokee plain is essentially a featureless sandy flat, in 
which there are few streams and many cypress and gum ponds and 
swamps, whose areas range from a few acres or a few square miles 
to the immense expanse of the Okefenokee Swamp. (See pp. 39-42.) 
It thus presents a contrast to the rolling topography and dendritic 
drainage of the Altamaha upland. The Okefenokee plain varies in 



36 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

elevation above sea level from about 60 to perhaps 125 feet, sloping 
eastward about 2 feet to the mile. The drainage is poor, at least 25 
per cent of the area being swampy, and the few creeks and branches 
flow through broad swampy flats only slightly lower than the general 
level. At only a few places are the bluffs as high as 30 or 40 feet. 
The flatness of the plain and its swampy condition are due to the 
newness of the land surface, the retreat of the sea having taken place 
in comparatively recent geologic time, to the low altitude, and to the 
fact that the surface formation is a thick, loose, porous sand which 
absorbs the rainfall and hence lessens surface erosion. The streams 
are sluggish, and their waters, except those of the Altamaha and 
Savannah, are black or coffee-colored from organic matter. The 
region is characterized by moist long-leaf pine and saw-palmetto 
flats, cypress ponds, gallberry flats, and swamps supporting thick 
growths of gum and bay. 

SATILLA COASTAL LOWLAND. 

The Satilla coastal lowland or Satilla plain is a low marine terrace 
20 to 35 miles wide that borders the Atlantic Ocean and includes 
part or all of the counties of Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, Mcintosh, 
Glynn, and Camden. (See fig. 1, p. 29.) The western edge of the 
plain is marked by a rise of 20 to 40 feet, probably a Pleistocene 
shore line, which is prominent' at Walthourville, Mount Pleasant, 
and Waynesville, and a short distance east of Folkston. 

The greater part of the plain is 15 to 25 feet above sea level, but in 
a few places it reaches an elevation of about 40 feet. It has a slight 
eastward slope, somewhat difficult to estimate but generally less than 
a foot to the mile. Although the plain is low, flat, and poorly drained, 
it presents several different topographic aspects. It differs from the 
Okefenokee plain chiefly in its lower altitude, in its greater area of 
swamp and inundated land, and in its topographic forms, which are 
incident to low coast land. 

The western part of the belt is on the whole a sandy flat plain con- 
taining an open growth of long-leaf pine. In the spring and summer 
grass and flowers are luxuriant in the open meadows or " savannas." 1 
The surface is dotted with small cypress ponds and contains large 
swamp areas, in this respect resembling the higher Okefenokee plain. 

Near the coast the plain presents a different aspect. Owing to 
recent submergence the coast line is irregular, and a network of 
sea islands, tidal rivers, sounds, estuaries, and marshes has been 
formed. The land terminates as beach on the sea islands, as sand 
bluffs not more than 10 or 15 feet above low tide, and as marshes 
at the mouths of the rivers. The islands are sand covered, and some 

1 An excellent description is given by R. H. Loughridge, Cotton production of the State of Georgia: 
Tenth Census, vol. 6, Georgia, p. 51, 1884. 



PHYSIOGRAPHY. 37 

of them exhibit sand dunes, which, however, nowhere reach great 
magnitude. Their total area is perhaps 500 to 600 square miles. 
The largest are Cumberland, Jekyl, St. Simon, Sapelo, St. Catherine, 
Skidaway, and Tybee. They are of considerable historical interest 
and some of them are noted as resorts. 

The tree growth of the coast land is characterized by the cabbage 
palmetto and live oaks, which are more abundant than farther west. 

There are two classes of swamp land, upland and tidal. Swamps 
of the upland class, of which Buffalo Swamp, in the western part 
of Glynn County, is representative, probably occupy the sites of 
former shallow sounds or coastal lagoons and marshes which have 
become land through uplift and the retreat of the sea and which have 
not been inundated as a result of the later subsidence indicated by 
drowned-river courses. Other upland swamps are apparently once 
more becoming lagoons, for the subsidence seems' to be still going 
on and the sea to be slowly encroaching on the land. The best proof 
of this is the presence of tree stumps and even dead standing trees 
in brackish-water marshes. 

The second class, the tidal swamps, occur in considerable areas along 
Savannah, Ogeechee, Altamaha, Satilla, and St. Marys rivers. They 
differ from salt marshes chiefly in that at high tide they are partly 
covered by the backing up of the fresh river water instead of 
directly by the sea. They extend up the rivers 10 to 20 miles 
beyond the salt marshes, and rice growing is still carried on in 
these swamps, but to a much less extent than formerly. 

The salt marshes reach their greatest extent at the mouths of the 
rivers, but probably do not aggregate more than 150 or 200 square 
miles. 1 They are probably due in the main to submergence of the 
coast, although the silting up of shallow water-covered areas by 
sediment carried down by streams has also doubtless been a factor. 

The Satilla plain is poorly drained, owing to the newness of the 
land surface and its low altitude. The few streams are sluggish, 
and with the exception of Savannah and Altamaha rivers, whose 
waters are yellow from suspended sediment, are so-called clear-water 
streams, whose waters are, however, dark or even black from organic 
matter. Most of the streams flow eastward or southeastward, their 
courses having been determined by the general slope of the plain. 
Satilla and St. Marys rivers, however, in parts of their courses flow 
parallel to the coast — that is, at right angles to the terrace slope. 

Slight submergence has drowned the streams, converting the 
mouths of the large rivers into estuaries navigable for sea-going 
vessels for 10 to 20 miles, and changing small streams, mere branches 
or creeks,, so far as their lengths are concerned, into estuaries and 

1 No survey of the marshland of the State has yet been made, hence accurate figures can not be given. 



38 LXDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

so-called rivers. Among the latter are Crooked, Turtle, and Sapelo 
rivers. A network of serpentine waterways on the sea islands are 
termed creeks and, perhaps inappropriately, rivers. 

MINOR FEATURES. 
TERRACES. 

The terraces constitute an interesting physiographic feature of the 
Coastal Plain. They are intimately connected with the Pleistocene 
geology of the region, and their nature, origin, and detailed extent 
are problems which demand further study with the aid of detailed 
topographic maps. 

Two broad terrace plains, the Okefenokee and the Satilla (see pp. 35, 
36), parallel the coast and are easily recognized. Not improbably a 
third higher terrace plain exists, but sufficient proof of its existence 
has not been obtained to warrant positive statements. 

Fluviatile terraces, believed to be equivalent in age to the two 
coastal terrace plains, border the larger rivers. They are best devel- 
oped in the upper part of the Coastal Plain along the Chattahoochee, 
Ocmulgee, and Savannah, and are conspicuous at Columbus, Macon, 
and Augusta. The lower or younger terrace, also known as "second 
bottoms," lies 15 to 50 feet above the rivers and is a smooth plain 
from half a mile to 4 miles in width. (See PL II, A and B.) The 
upper or older terrace, which lies 50 to 100 feet above the rivers, has 
been partly destroyed by the erosion that formed the iower terrace. 
The interstream uplands lie 125 to 300 feet or more above the rivers. 

STREAMS. 

The drainage of the Coastal Plain discharges into the Atlantic 
Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The main drainage basins are those 
of Savannah, Ogeechee, Altamaha, Satilla and St. Marys, Suwannee, 
Ochlockonee, and Apalachicola rivers, the last named being drained, 
in the State, by Chattahoochee and Flint rivers. The first four 
basins, which drain into the Atlantic, cover much the larger portion 
of the Coastal Plain of Georgia; the last three drain into the Gulf of 
Mexico. 

On the basis of origin the rivers of the Coastal Plain fall into two 
classes, those originating in the Piedmont Plateau and Appalachian 
Mountains and thence traversing the Coastal Plain, and those indige- 
nous to or having their source within the Coastal Plain. To the 
first class belong the Chattahoochee, Flint, Ocmulgee, Oconee, 
Altamaha, Savannah, and Ogeechee. To the second class, whose 
streams are smaller and more numerous, belong the Little Ocmulgee, 
Ohoopee, Canoochee, Satilla, St. Marys, Suwannee, Alapaha, With- 
lacoochee, and Ochlockonee. Throughout the greater part of its 



PHYSIOGEAPHY. 39 

course Ogeechee River has much the aspect of a stream of the second 
class. (See fig. 2, p. 58.) 

The rivers of the first class have greater drainage areas, carry a 
greater volume of water, have greater lengths, and have cut deeper 
and wider valleys. Their waters, except those of the Ogeechee, are 
always more or less muddy, whereas the waters of the streams of the 
second class are clear; and this fact furnishes a popular distinction — 
"clear-water" 1 and "muddy-water" streams. The Ocmulgee, Oco- 
nee, Altamaha, and Savannah are bordered by lowlands or swamps 
reaching maximum widths of 5 or 6 miles, in which a large part 
of the sediment is clay, whereas the smaller Coastal Plain rivers of 
the second class have sandy banks and are bordered by low terraces 
composed almost entirely of sand. The explanation is that streams 
of the first class have brought down a large amount of sediment 
derived from the red-clay hills of the Piedmont Plateau, whereas 
those of the second class flow wholly through areas where the geo- 
logic formations are predominantly sand and where erosion is less 
active, many of the smaller streams not having cut through even the 
superficial sands. 

The rivers crossing the Coastal Plain probably assumed their present 
courses on a comparatively level plain as the sea retreated from the 
land. As geologic time proceeded each successive uplift of the land 
caused the river courses to extend farther southeastward to the new 
coast line. The age of the Ocmulgee at the fall line, for instance, is 
much greater than that of the Altamaha, which receives its waters 
and which, in the lower 20 or 30 miles of its course, flows across the 
later Pleistocene plain. The directions of the streams, which, with 
certain exceptions, flow south, southeast, and east, are due to the 
initial slope of the new land surfaces across which they flowed. 

LAKES AND PONDS. 

The lakes and ponds of the Coastal Plain are of three types — those 
due to lime sinks, those caused by original shallow depressions in the 
land surfaces after the retreat of the sea, and those formed on river 
flood plains. 

Lime-sink lakes and ponds are confined mainly to the western and 
southwestern parts of the Coastal Plain — the Dougherty plain and 
the southern lime-sink region; some, however, are found in Screven 
County, in the southern parts of Burke, Jefferson, and Washington 
counties, and along the western edge of the Altamaha upland. The 
depressions which lakes and ponds of this type occupy result from 

1 Though the indigenous streams of the Coastal Plain are termed "clear,," the water is clear only in that 
it is comparatively free from suspended silt and clay. It does not possess the transparency of clear 
mountain streams but is pale brownish or even black from organic matter held in solution and suspension. 
The water of Suwannee and St. Marys rivers, near their source, the Okefenokee Swamp, is almost inky. 



40 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIX OF GEORGIA. 

the collapse of underground solution caverns in limestone; the 
process is still in operation and some of the sinks have formed since 
the settlement of these areas. These bodies of water vary in size 
from ponds 100 feet across to lakes 6 square miles in. area. The 
shallow ponds often become dry and the water level in the larger 
and deeper ones varies considerably with the seasons. Some attain 
considerable depth and are connected by open passages with under, 
ground channels; for instance, a sink 90 feet deep, known as Forest 
Falls or the Limesink, 8 miles north of Whigham, Grady County, 
receives a small stream, which disappears through an opening in the 
bottom. Of the larger lakes the most notable are Ocean Pond and 
Long Pond in Lowndes County; Original Pond, 3 miles west of Met- 
calf ; and Rock Pond, near Camilla, Mitchell County. 

The ponds, many of them small and shallow, which occupy 
original depressions in level sandy plains, depend for their existence 
on seepage from the surrounding sands, and most of them become 
dry in times of severe drought. They are numerous in the south- 
eastern part of the Altamaha upland, are typically developed on the 
Okefenokee plain, and are present on the Satilla marine-terrace plain 
20 to 40 feet above sea level. Most of them support a growth of 
cypress and gum. Some rather large untimbered expanses of water 
in the Okefenokee Swamp, termed "lakes," also belong to this type. 

Bodies of water which occupy abandoned channels in the flood 
plains of streams are of the type of the numerous lakes that occur 
along the lower course of the Mississippi. Most^of them are long and 
curved, taking the form of oxbows and crescents. Many of them 
receive the flood waters of the streams and are therefore generally 
less clear than those of the lime-sink lakes and ponds. Some of 
them, as Hershman Lake in Screven County and Black Lake in 
Wilkinson County, maintain their connection with the parent stream. 

FRESH-WATER SWAMPS. 

The fresh-water swamps of the Coastal Plain may be included in 
two main classes, upland plain and fluviatile. 

Upland-plain swamps. — The upland-plain swamps lie on the 
Okefenokee and Satilla plains and owe their existence to the flatness 
and consequent imperfect drainage of the land surface. They are 
upland in that they lie at higher levels than the river swamps, tide 
swamps, and salt marshes, although some of them are not more 
than 20 feet above sea level. 

Okefenokee Swamp, the largest of this class in Georgia, is perhaps 
the greatest natural wonder in the State. It lies in the southeastern 
part of the Coastal Plain, in Ware, Charlton, and Clinch counties, 
and extends to the Florida line. It has a length of about 40 miles, 
a width of 30 miles, and an area of 700 to 800 square miles. The 



PHYSIOGRAPHY. 41 

swamp has been fully explored by hunters and lumbermen, but no 
very extended descriptions of it have been published. The following 
excellent short description is that of R. H. Loughridge, 1 who was 
one of a party that made a partial survey of Okefenokee Swamp in 
1875: 

This swamp has a width of 30 and a length of 40 miles, covering an area of about 
500,000 acres. It is in reality an upland swamp, having an altitude of 120 feet above 
tidewater on St. Mary's River, 4 miles distant. A sand ridge (part of the water divide 
of the State) 30 feet above the swamp extends along its eastern border to the south, 
becoming lower as it reaches the southern horseshoe bend of St. Marys River. The 
swamp is highest on the northeast, and falls irregularly to the south and southwest 
from 126J to 111J feet at Ellicott's mound and on the southwestern corner. 

The eastern part, 12 miles in width, is an open "prairie" or marsh, largely covered 
with water, in which are long rushes and water lilies. Under its surface is a dense 
body of moss from 4 to 6 feet thick, the great mass of which is decayed, forming muck 
and peat. It is so dense that it will readily bear up a man's weight, merely sinking 
a little and rising for many feet around; hence the name of Okefenokee — "trembling 
earth." Small islands, covered with clumps of cypress, bay, and cassino, frequently 
occur. The western part of the swamp is mostly covered by cypress trees and a dense 
growth similar to that of the small swamps outside, so tied together by bamboo briers 
and vines as to be impenetrable except by slow and tedious cutting away with bush 
knives. Small open marshes, and also a number of large islands, are found throughout 
this region. These islands are quite level but are slightly elevated above the swamp 
lands and have a sandy soil, with an open timber growth of long-leaf pine and a very 
low undergrowth of saw palmetto, and are similar in every respect to the mainland. 
Their dimensions are 3 or 4 miles by from 1 to 2, and they are bordered by a low hum- 
mock land, on which there is a growth of magnolia, oak, etc. Hunters find deer and 
bear on these islands. The soil or bottom of the swamp proper seems to be but little 
else than white sand. 

R. M. Harper 2 has recently published a description, illustrated 
from photographs, in which the literature, history of exploration, 
geography, vegetation, and other characteristics of the swamp are 
briefly set forth. 

The swamp dates from middle Pleistocene time. It lies upon a 
terrace plain, which is correlative with a lower terrace plain lying 
from 15 to 40 feet above sea level and extending to the present coast. 
The western edge of the lower plain is marked by an escarpment 
which is prominent at Waynesville, Mount Pleasant, and Walthour- 
ville, and probably represents the shore line of the latest Pleistocene 
sea. The next higher plain, the Okefenokee, parallels the lower 
plain, extending 20 to 40 miles westward from the escarpment. It is 
believed to be a wave-cut plain similar to the lower one and to have 
been covered by the sea during middle Pleistocene time. Its western 
border, or the shore of the sea covering it, is not plainly marked, 
although a good topographic map would probably reveal it; but it is 
believed to have extended approximately from Clyo, in Effingham 

i Cotton Production of the State of Georgia: Georgia, Tenth Census, vol. 6, p. 51, 1884. 
2 Pop. Sci. Monthly, June, 1909. 



42 UNDERGROUND WATERS OE COASTAL PLAIN OE GEORGIA. 

County, southward to a few miles above Plinesville, thence via Jesup, 
Offerman, and Waycross to the northern and western borders of 
Okefenokee Swamp. It consists of a deposit of sand, laid down 
along the coast of the sea and shaped into slightly irregular deposits 
by wave currents and wind. The plain itself retains the slightly 
uneven floor left by the retreating sea, on which low ridges and heaps 
of sand had been piled up as bars at the mouths of bays or as beach 
accumulations. One such sand ridge, extending along the east side 
of the swamp, acted as a dam to the drainage from the west and caused 
the waters to spread out over a broad area which vegetation rapidly 
converted into the Okefenokee Swamp. 

Big Pond, 7 miles north of Baxley, Appling County, belongs to the 
upland, nonalluvial class of swamps and is probably somewhat 
similar in origin to Okefenokee Swamp and to the smaller cypress and 
gum ponds which are so numerous in the southeastern part of the 
Coastal Plain. Although locally termed "pond," it is more properly 
a swamp. Its only open water is a small lake in its interior, reported 
to be not more than 100 yards long, the area as a whole being thickly 
covered with cypress, gum, pine, and an undergrowth of small trees 
and bushes. Big Pond lies upon a flat, sandy, pine-covered plain, 
about 200 feet above sea level. Its area, including a small swamp 
known as Second Pond, is about 8 square miles. The two "ponds" 
are connected by a narrow swamp known as Tiger Bay. On the east 
side of the swamps is a low ridge covered with superficial gray sand 
reaching a thickness of about 10 feet. Tenmile Creek, a small tribu- 
tary of Altamaha River, flows sluggishly from the southern end of 
Big Pond. 

Some swamps lying on the lower coastal terrace plain 15 to 25 feet 
above sea level appear to be the survivors of ancient lagoons or 
shallow sounds. Buffalo Swamp, in the western part of Glynn County, 
is an example. This swamp extends from Altamaha River south- 
ward to Turtle River and has a much greater length than width. It 
contains clay and is slightly lower than the sandy pine and palmetto 
land on both sides. Oyster shells in the clay bear evidence of its 
marine origin. Cabbage palmetto trees near Bladen and Everett are 
possibly survivors from the period when this area was a sound or 
marsh. The area is often entirely covered with water during the 
rainy season but becomes almost dry in times of drought. Should 
the present coast be elevated 20 or 30 feet the waterways and marsh 
between St. Simon Island and the mainland would probably become 
such an area as Buffalo Swamp. 

Fluviatile swamps. — The fluviatile swamps occur on the flood 
plains of the streams. Nearly all the streams of the Coastal Plain, 
even the small branches, are bordered by swamps, the most extensive 
lying along the large rivers The swamp lands lie only a few feet 



PHYSI0GRAP1I V. 43 

above the rivers and the frequent overflows and poor drainage main- 
tain them in a swampy condition. Along the lower part of Savannah 
River the swamp reaches a width of 5 to 6 miles, the greater part 
being on the South Carolina side of the river. It supports a dense 
growth of oak, ash, cypress, gum, and pine. Other broad areas of 
swamp land lie along the Ogeechee, Altamaha, Oconee, Ocmulgee, and 
the upper part of the Flint. Chattahoochee River forms an exception 
to the general rule, having scarcely any land along its course in Georgia 
which can be termed "swamp." 

The small branches, creeks, and rivers flow through broad, densely 
wooded lowlands, the water often spreading out among the trees until 
it is difficult to determine just where the channel proper is located. 
On many roads crossing the valleys of such streams it is necessary to 
construct a succession of low bridges a quarter of a mile to a mile 
long, alternating with stretches of earth embankment. Swamps of 
this character are notable along Ogeechee River; Williamson Swamp 
creek, in Jefferson County; Commissioner Creek, in Wilkinson County; 
and along the headwaters of Little and Alapaha rivers, in Tift, Irwin, 
and Berrien counties. 

The area of fluviatile, or river and creek, flood-plain swamp in the 
Georgia Coastal Plain is perhaps 1,000 square miles 1 most of which 
lies 2 to 8 feet above the water level of the streams. 

SPRINGS. 

A few large springs are of physiographic and geologic interest. 
These springs are in limestone areas and seem to be connected with 
subterranean streams. Their water is clear and very transparent, 
though faintly bluish in color, is but little affected by rains, and prob- 
ably comes from considerable depths. At Blue Spring, 4 miles south of 
Albany, the water rises under pressure through a roughly circular 
opening in limestone and has an enormous flow. Discharge meas- 
urements by B. M. and M. R. Hall 2 varied from 26.4 second-feet to 
135 second-feet, or approximately 18,000,000 to 87,000,000 gallons 
in 24 hours. The spring is the largest in the State. Similar springs 
are Blue or Wade Spring, 7 miles east of Quitman; Mclntyre Spring, 
on the Withlacoochee near the Florida line; Blue or Russell Spring, in 
Decatur County; Well, Wilkes, and Rock springs, in Laurens County; 
and Magnolia Spring, in Jenkins County. These are all large springs 
rising through limestone caverns. 

Small springs, both permanent and intermittent, of minor impor- 
tance, are numerous except along the coastal lowlands. 

i No complete survey of the swamp lands of Georgia has been made, and the figures are only a rough 
estimate based on a knowledge of the approximate widths of the swamps along the largest rivers and creeks. 
2 U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 197, p. 236, 1907. 



44 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

ELEVATIONS. 1 

The Columbus, Talbotton, and Milleclgeville quadrangles of the 
United States Geological Survey cover small areas along the northern 
border of the Coastal Plain in Georgia. The remainder of the Coastal 
Plain in this State has not been mapped topographically. The ele- 
vations given below will therefore be of interest and of practical value 
to those engaged in working out geologic problems and in studying 
the underground waters of the State. The list has been compiled 
for the most part from published data, though several of the eleva- 
tions given are merely rough estimates based on other elevations 
and on knowledge of the topography, supported in a few instances 
by aneroid barometer readings. Some may be several feet in error. 

Elevations in Georgia. 2 

The abbreviations used are: A. B. & A., Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad; A. C. L., Atlantic 
Coast Line Railroad; C. of Ga., Central of Georgia Railway; Ga. R. R., Georgia Railroad; G. S. & F., 
Georgia Southern & Florida Railway; L. & N., Louisville & Nashville Railroad; M. D. & S., Macon, 
Dublin '& Savannah Railroad; S. A. L., Seaboard Air Line Railway; IT. S. A. Eng., United States Army 
Engineers; TJ. S. G. S., United States Geological Survey. 

Abbeville Rough estimate 225 ? 

Abbeville (low water, railroad bridge) U.S.A. Eng 169. 33 

Achord U. S . G . S 274 

Acree, Dougherty County A. C. L 205 

Adams Park U. S. G. S 259 

Adel G. S. & F : 246 

Adrian, Emanuel County Rough estimate 290 ? 

Albany C. of Ga 184 

Albany (Flint River level) A. C. L 127 

Alapaha A. C. L 293 

Alexanderville A. C. L 153 

Allentown M. D. & S 411 ? 

Ambrose, Coffee County A. B. & A -. 395 

Americus C. of Ga 360 

Andersonville C. of Ga 394 

Arabi G. S. & F 460 

Argyle A. C. L 161 

Arlington Rough estimate 275 

Armena S. A. L 275 ? 

Ashburn G. S. & F 450 

Augusta (Union Station) City engineer 143 

Augusta (river gage) Weather Bureau 100 

Baconton A. C. L 160 

Bainbridge A. C. L 110 

Bainbridge (river level) Rough estimate 80 

Bartow C. of Ga 237 ? 

Bath, Richmond County. Rough estimate 400 

1 Reprinted, with a few additions, from the work of Mr. Veatch published in Geol. Survey Georgia Bull. 
26, pp. 50-57, 1908. 

2 Compiled chiefly from Dictionary of altitudes in the United States, by Henry Gannett, U. S. Geol. 
Survey Bull. 274, 1908; from the list of elevations in Water powers of Georgia, Geol. Survey Georgia Bull. 
3-A; from surveys by the U. S. Corps of Engineers of Ocmulgee, Oconee, Altamaha, and Savannah rivers; 
and from the Columbus, Talbotton, and Milledgeville topographic sheets of the U. S. Geological Survey. 



ELEVATIONS. 45 

Baxley U. S. G. S 206 

Belair : Ga. R. R 295 

Berzelia Ga. R. R 488 

Blackshear A. C. L. . . , 106 

Bladen ...S. A. L 22 

Blakely Rough estimate 275 

Blakely Weather Bureau 300 

Bloomingdale C. of Ga 24 

Bonaire G. S. & F 354 

Boston A. C. L.. 194 

Bostwick (Paschal) C. of Ga 669 

Boulogne, Fla A. C. L 70 

Box Springs IT. S . G . S 364 

Braganza A. C. L 144 

Brentwood - U. S. G. S 167 

Brewer (Tusculum post office) C. of Ga 134 

Brookfield.. A. C. L 332 

Brooklyn - S . A . L 691 

Brinson A. C. L 104 

Brunswick -. Southern Ry 13 

Brunswick (city hall) U. S. G. S r 11 

Buena Vista Rough estimate 590 

Bullards U.S. G. S r ... s 259 

Burroughs . A. C. L 19 

Bushnell I A. B. & A 385 ? 

Butler : C. of Ga 650 

Byromville A. B. & A 365 ? 

Byron C. of Ga 515 

Cairo A. C. L 237 

Camak Ga. R. R 578 

Cameron C. of Ga 103 

Camilla A. C. L 167 

Carrs station U. S. G. S 500 

Cecil G. S-. &F 250 

Chauncey U. S. G. S . 300 

Chula G. S. &F 395 

Claxton S. A. L 194 ? 

Clifton . . . . C . of Ga 22 

Climax. A. C. L 277 

Clyo : S. A. L 74 

Cochran U. S. G. S 342 

Coldbrook, Effingham County Brinson R. R 65 

Coleman C. of Ga 391 

Coley Southern Ry 303 

Collins , S. A. L 238 

Colon G.S. &F , 137 

Colquitt Rough estimate 175 

Columbus (Union Station) C. of Ga 260 

Columbus (river level) U. S. G. S 200 

Cordele G.S. &F 336 

Crescent Rough estimate 18 

Culverton. . . , • Ga. R. R 549 

Cusseta S. A. L 540 

Cuthbert C. of Ga 446 



46 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Cutler G. S. & F 78 

Cuyler S. A. L 37 ? 

Cycloneter G. S. & F 410 

Dakota G. S. & F 410 

Darien Rough estimate 15 

Dasher G. S. & F 185 

Davis A . C. L 238 

Davisboro C. of Ga 302 

Dawson C. of Ga 352 

Dearing Ga. R. R 464 

Devereux ' U. S. G. S 577 

Dewitt Butt's map 175 

Dixie A. C. L 130 

Dock Junction U. S. G. S 25 

Doctortown A. C. L 74 

Doctortown (low-water level) U. S. A. Eng 31. 72 

Donaldsonville A. C. L 139 

Douglas A. B. & A 388 ? 

Doublerun A. B. & A 363 ? 

Dover C. of Ga 104 

Dry Branch ;M. D. & S 368 ? 

Dublin M. D. &S. * 231 ? 

Dublin (low-water level) U. S. A. Eng 160. 6 

Dudley M. D. & S 325 ? 

Dupont A. C. L 180 

East Albany A. C. L 186 

Eastman U. S. G. S 357 

Eden C. of Ga 34 

Egypt C. of Ga 132 

Eldorado G. S. & F 340 

Elko G. S. & F 443 

Ellabelle S. A. L 93 ? 

Ellaville J. W. Spencer 591 

Empire, U. S. G. S 382 

Enigma A. C. L 309 

Esquiline U. S. G. S 300 

Eufaula, Ala C. of Ga 211 ? 

Everett City U. S. G. S 16 

Everett station, Crawford County C. of Ga 362 

Everett station (Flint River railroad bridge) . C. of Ga 337 

Exeter . . . A. C. L 94 

Exley S. A. L 63 

Faceville A. C. L 296 

Fargo G. S. & F 116 

Fitzgerald A. B. & A 388 ? 

Fitzpatrick M. D. & S 541 ? 

Fleming A. C. L 22 

Flint A. C. L 168 

Folkston A. C. L 80 

Fort Gaines = C. of Ga 163 

Fort Gaines (river level, low water) 100 ? 

1 Elevations on the M. D. & S. R. R. are taken from the list given in Water-powers of Georgia: Geol. 
Survey Georgia Bull. 3-A, pp. 9S-100. Rough corrections were made according to the bench mark estab- 
lished on Oconee River at Dublin by U. S. Army Engineers. 



ELEVATIONS. 47 

Fort Mudge A. C. L 134 

Fort Valley. C. of Ga 522 

Fowltown A. C. L 289 

Gallemore (Willis post office) M. D. & S 394 ? 

Gardi U. S. G. S 62 

Geneva (station) U. S. G. S 581 

Georgetown C. of Ga 189 

Georgetown (low water, Chattahoochee 

River) Rough estimate Ill ? 

Glenmore A . C . L 151 

Godwinville U. S. G. S 312 

Gordon C. of Ga 348 

Gordon, Ala _ A. G L 160 

Graham Southern Ry 240 

Graves C. of Ga 350 

Greens Cut C. of Ga \ 284 

Griswold C. of Ga 447 

Grovania : G. S. & F 444 

Groveland S. A. L 162 ? 

Grovetown Ga. R. R . 495 

Guyton C . of Ga 81 

Hagan S. A. L 186 ? 

Hahira. G. S. & F 230 

Halcyondale C. of Ga 110 

Halloca U. S. G. S 323 

Hardaway A. C. L 183 

Hardeeville, S. C A. C. L 21 

Harlem Ga. R. R 548 

Harrison, Washington County Weather Bureau 245 

Hatcher C. of Ga 289 ? 

Hawkinsville Weather Bureau 235 

Hawkinsville ( low- water level) U. S. A. Eng 200.2 

Haylow G. S. & F 167 

Hazlehurst U. S. G. S 256 

Helena U. S. G. S 247 

Hephzibah Weather Bureau 402 

Herndon C. of Ga 179 

Homerville A. C. L 176 

Howard C. of Ga 666 ? 

Howell G. S. & F 169 

Inaha G. S. & F 415 

Irwinton Rough estimate 460 ? 

Isabella (Sylvester) A. C. L 370 

Jasper, Fla A. C. L 152 

Jeffersonville M. D. & S 526 

Jennings, Fla G. S. & F 150 

Jesup IT. S. G. S 100 

Johnsonville, Jeff Davis County Southern Ry 240 

Juniper station -.IT, S. G. S 422 

Kathleen G. S. & F 330 

Kildare, Effingham County Brinson R. R 133 

Kingsland. S. A. L 41 

Kirkland A. C. L 200 

Eoioxville, „,„,,, J. E. Thomas 640 



48 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Lake Park G. S. & F 160 

Lawton C. of Ga 225 

Leary D. L. Wardroper 210 

Leesburg Rough estimate 300 ? 

Lenox G. S. & F 300 

Lewiston C. of Ga 385 

Lily A. B. & A 364 ? 

Longstreet U. S. G. S 302 

Louisville Weather Bureau 259 

Ludowici A. C. L 71 

Lulaton Rough estimate 50 

Lumber City U. S. G. S 146 

Lumber City (river level, low water) U. S. A. Eng 84. 7 

Lumpkin (station) Rough estimate 500 

Lumpkin Weather Bureau 650 

Lyons S. A. L 254 

McBean Station C . of Ga 134 ? 

McClenny, Florida , S. A. L : 125 

McDonald A. C. L 167 

McGriff U. S. G. S 259 

Mcintosh A. C. L 22 

McRae U. S. G. S 230 

Mclntyre C. of Ga 261 

Macon (Union Station) G. S. & F 334 

Macon (near Southern Ry. station) U. S. G. S 311 

Macon (low-water level) U. S. A. Eng 279. 02 

Macon Junction C. of Ga 350 

Manassas S. A. L 217 

Marshallville C. of Ga 500 

Marlow C. of Ga 72 

Mayday G. S. & F 140 

Mayfield Ga. R. R 417. 5 

Meigs A. C. L 341 

Meinhard S . A. L 19 

Meldrim C. of Ga '. 28 

Melrose G. S. & F 154 

Metcalf '. A. C. L 170 

Midville C. of Ga 186 

Milledgeville Ga. R. R 276 

Milledgeville (low-water level) U. S. A. Eng 241. 29 

Millen C. of Ga 156 

Millwood A. C. L 160 

Mineola G. S. & F 220 

Moniac G. S. & F 114 

Monteith A. C. L 16 

Montezuma C. of Ga 300 

Montrose M. D. & S 391 

Morgan Weather Bureau 337 

Morris ,.C. of Ga 242 

Mount Pleasant Southern Ry 59 

Munnerlyn C. of Ga 264 ? 

Muscogee U. S. G. S 245 

Myers, Effingham County S. A. L 45 

Navlor A. C. L 192 



ELEVATIONS. 49 

Nicholls A. B. & A 306 ? 

Norwood Ga. R. R 588 

Ockillee : U. S. G. S 273 

Ochlockonee A. C. L 263 

Ockwalkee (low water, Oconee River) U. S. A. Eng 114. 4 

Oconee C. of Ga 223 

Odum U. S. G. S 155 

Offerman A. C. L '. . . . 106 

Ogeechee C. of Ga Ill 

Oglethorpe . C. of Ga 299 

Ohoopee S. A. L 187 

Oli rer C. of Ga 140 

Omaha (station) Rough estimate 240 

Ousley A. C. L 148 

Paramore Hill C. of Ga 235 

Parrott S . A. L 482 

Paschal 0. of Ga 669 

Patterson A. C. L 104 

Pearson A. C. L 205 

Pelham A. C. L 355 

Pembroke S. A. L 101 

Pendarvis IT. S. G. S 85 

Pennick U. S. G. S 18 

Perkins - .-.C. of Ga 252 ? 

Pikes Peak (station; M. D. & S . . 534 

Pinegrove IT. S. G. S 229 

Pinehurst .G. S. & F 390 

Pineora C. of Ga 78 

Piscola, Brooks County Weather Bureau. 190 

Pooler C. of Ga - 23 

Poulan A. C. L 345 

Powersville C. of Ga 385 

Quitman A. C. L 173 

Racepond A. C. L 148 

Rebecca A. B. & A 373 ? 

Recovery A. C. L 189 

Register Rough estimate 225 ? 

Renfroes S. A. L 601 ? 

Reynolds C. of Ga 433 

Riceboro Rough estimate 15 

Richland S. A. L 600 

Richwood G. S . & F 358 

Rincon S. A. L 75 

River Junction, Fla L. & N 84 

Roberta Rough estimate 620 

Roberts station Ga. R. R 557 

Rockyf ord C . of Ga 130 

Rogers C. of Ga 159 

Saffold A. 0. L 105 

Saffold (level of Chattahoochee River) Rough estimate 65 

St. George G. S. & F 78 

St. Marys , • _ I Rough estimate 12 

Sandersville Rough estimate 470 

3S41S°— wsp 341—15 4 



50 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Satilla A. C. L 96 

Satilla (river level) A. C. L 71 

Savannah A. C. L 21 

Scarboro C. of Ga 147 

Schlatterville A. C. L 133 

Scotland IT. S . G . S 142 

Screven A. C. L 124 

Shell Bluff Landing, Burke County U. S. A. Eng. (low water) 87 

Shell Bluff Landing, Burke County U. S. A. Eng. (highest point). . 237 

Shellman C. of Ga 379 ? 

Sibley G. S. & F 440 

Sisters Ferry (Savannah River), Effingham 

County U.S.A. Eng. (low water) 20. 03 

Smithville C. of Ga 332 

Sofkee G. S. & F 370 

Soperton Rough estimate 290 

Sparks G. S. & F 241 

Sparta Ga. R. R 557 

Springfield ". Rough estimate 100 

Statesboro Rough estimate 175 to 200 

Sterling U. S. G. S 21 

Stillmore (highest land) Rough estimate 300 

Stillwell, Effingham County S. A. L 69 

Stockton A. C. L 187 

Sulphur Springs . U. S. G. S 300 

Sumner A. C. L 373 

Sunhill C. of Ga 362 

Surrency ...U. S. G. S 187 

Swift Creek M. D. & S 324 ? 

Sycamore G. S. & F 415 

Sylvania Rough estimate 200 

Sylvester A. C. L 370 ? 

Talbotton . U. S. G. S : 726 

Tarrytown Rough estimate 290 ? 

Tennille C. of Ga 469 

Thalman Rough estimate 20 

Thelnia G. S. & F 158 

Thomas C. of Ga 285 

Thomasville A. C. L 250 

Thomson Ga. R. R 503 

Tif ton A . C , L 370 

Tivola G. S. &F 300 

Toomsboro C. of Ga 227 

Towns U. S. G. S 128 

Tusculum -C. of Ga 134 

Tyty A. C. L 332 

Unadilla G. S. & F 412 

Upatoi U. S. G. S 418 

Uptonville A. C. L 83 

Valambrosa M. D. & S 258 ? 

Valdosta A. C. L 215 

Valona, Mcintosh County Weather Bureau 10 

Vidalia S . A . L 257 ? 

Vienna- --,--, ..,.....". G. S . & F 350 



ELEVATIONS. 51 

Wadley C. of Ga 234 

Wainwright ( Upton ville station) A. C. L 83 

Walden C. of Ga 390 

Walthourville A. C. L 95 

Waresboro A. C. L 121 

Warrenton Ga. R. R 500 

Waverly S. A. L 17 

"Waycross A. C. L 140 

Waynesboro C. of Ga 286 

Waynesville A. C. L 55 

Ways A. C. L 18 

Wellston : G. S . & F 315 

Wenona .G. S. & F 348 

Westlake U. S. G. S 235 

Weston S. A. L 528 

Wheaton, Appling County U. S. G. S , 201 

Whigham A. C. L 265 

Whiteoak S. A. L , 19 

Willis (Gallemore) M. D. & S 394 ? 

Weston S. A. L 528 

Wilcox Southern Ry 116 

Willacoochee A. C. L 247 

Willingham A. C. L 319 

Winchester C. of Ga 463 

Woodbine .S. A. L 20 

Worth G. S. &F 415 

Wray A. B. & A... 392 ? 



52 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

GEOLOGY. 
GEOLOGIC PROVINCES. 1 

Georgia may be divided into three major geologic provinces: (1) 
The Paleozoic area; (2) the crystalline area; (3) the Coastal Plain. 
The Coastal Plain, the largest of the three, covers approximately 
35,000 square miles. 

The rocks of the Paleozoic area are limestones, shales, and sand- 
stones, which have been subjected to great dynamic movements and 
have been strongly folded and faulted. They range in age from 
Lower Cambrian to Pennsylvanian. 

The rocks of the crystalline area, which includes the Piedmont 
Plateau and the Blue Ridge, are of igneous or metamorphic origin and 
include granites, gneisses, schists, basic eruptives, and highly meta- 
morphosed shales, sandstones, and limestones. They constitute the 
oldest rocks of the State and are probably in the main of pre-Cambrian 
age. They have been subjected to great orogenic movements, have 
been folded, faulted, and otherwise profoundly altered. 

The rocks of the Coastal Plain are sands, clays, marls, and, subor- 
dinate^, limestones and sandstones. They are largely unconsolidated 
and are comparatively little altered from their original condition. 
Pronounced folding and faulting are entirely absent. The sediments 
of the Coastal Plain are the youngest beds in the State. They range 
in age from Lower Cretaceous to Recent and lie upon the upturned, 
planated rocks of the ancient crystalline complex. They are mainly 
marine deposits, the component materials of which were derived from 
the crystalline rocks to the north, their bulk representing the erosion 
of a vertical thickness of 2,000 feet or more. The boundary between 
these two major provinces, the Coastal Plain and the crystalline area, 
is known as the fall line. 

DEPOSITS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN. 

STRAT1GRAPHIC SUCCESSION. 

The deposits of the Coastal Plain underlie an immense area and have 
an estimated maximum thickness of 4,500 to 5,000 feet, the aggregate 
of separate strata which vary lithologically and faunally. A table of 
the subdivisions recognized in Georgia is given on pages 53-55, the 
areal distribution of the formations is shown on the map (PL III), 
and the general structure and relations of the deposits are shown in 
two sections (PI. IV). 

1 The text of this report from pages 52 to 59, inclusive, with the addition of the sections shown on PI. 
IV and some minor changes, is essentially a reprint from the report of Mr. Veatch in Georgia Geol. Sur- 
vey Bull. 26, pp. 58-65, 1908. 





! Wm 




5131 Satlllaand Okefonokee 
b- | f orni Mil 11 



Murks Head marl 



Undifferentiated Olis 



t'lulHn! '!im' I'.icni:i1i>»i 



Jackson Eormntio 



llarmwll -;tnil ninL 
McBean formation 



Irkoaic and . mntlj days, 
mid puro win"' clay* 

IGNEOUS ROCKS < 

■■ s 



U. S. Geological s 



S. Geological Survey 

.»pol tht United State* 



GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA 

in l WAYLAND VAOGHAN, I, W. 8TEHHENSO> AND OTTO VEATOH 



T. Wayland Vaughan. geologist In charge o' Cental Pla.n inv«ib'gl0DH- 
Cretaceous and : ■ m and Otto %»teh- 

Tertiary and Qusternjiy .-eu'ogy bv f. Wovland Vaughan, Otto Yaiicfc. 
■ phenion, 

peration with the Geological Survey of Georgia. 




/ \ . -'/ 



' N ^ x / ' ' » J ' ' 






Chattahoochee formation 

-' ' ■■" Vicksburg formation 



Probably includes Miocene, 
Qligocene, Eocene, and 
Cretaceous strata, consisting ) 
of sands, clays, marls, and 
limestones. Contains 
numerous water-bearing beds 



? — 






TO THE Al 

By L. W 

Approximate 



EHGPAVEDAND PRINTED B\ THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



is exaggerated, be 




B-B . SECTION FROM POINT NEAR MACON TO THE ATLANTIC COAST AT THE MOUTH OF ST. MARYS RIVER 

By L. W. Stephenson 



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GEOLOGY. 



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54 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



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yielding large quantities of artesian and non- 
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dustrial purposes; the marine beds contain 
some water-bearing beds. 


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contain beds yielding fairly large quantities 
of artesian and nonartesian water suitable for 
domestic and for most industrial purpose . 


Contains numerous beds yielding large quanti- 
ties of water suitable for domestic and indus- 
trial purposes. 




Gray calcareous,micaceous sand ; 
dark-gray to black sandy clay 
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calcareous sand or impure 
sandy limestone of marine ori- 
gin; fine to coarse cross-bedded 
sand with subordinate lenses 
of light-colored clay or dark 
lignitic clay of shallow-water 
origin. 


Calcareous sand, sandy lime- 
stone, and more or less sandy 
clay of marine origin; cross- 
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low marine or estuarine origin; 
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clay containing lignite. 


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lin in composition; contains no 
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near-shore origin, or perhaps 
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56 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The great geologic periods Cretaceous, Tertiary, and Quaternary 
are based on the life forms preserved in the rocks and on the great 
physical or climatic changes that have taken place on the earth. 
The broader subdivisions, such as Lower Cretaceous, Upper Creta- 
ceous, Eocene, and Oligocene, are based mainly on the forms preserved 
in the rocks and are also of world-wide application. Further subdi- 
visions are provincial, and still further minor subdivisions are local 
and are based upon fossils, peculiar lithologic characters, stratigraphic 
continuity, surface configuration, or physiography, or a combination 
of some or all of these. To attempt to recognize mappable minor 
subdivisions of the strata either by their fossils or their lithology 
leads to confusion. The fossils are studied because of their value in 
correlating deposits of widely separated localities, the identity of 
which it is not possible to prove by stratigraphic continuity or actual 
tracing. 

Sections in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida have been taken as 
standards of comparison for the formations of Georgia for the reason 
that stratigraphic studies were first prosecuted in those localities. 
For the sake of uniformity and to avoid confusion the accepted geo- 
logic names employed to designate the formations and groups which 
extend from the States mentioned into Georgia are adopted in this 
report. 

The general lithologic character and thickness of the subdivisions 
are shown in the table on pages 53-55. Their aggregate thickness is 
4,500 to 5,000 feet, of which 2,000 to 2,500 is Cretaceous, approxi- 
mately as much more is Tertiary, and probably not more than 100 
feet is Quaternary. Precise measurements of thickness can not be 
given, chiefly because of the inconstancy of the strata both along the 
strike and dip, the merging of strata faunally and lithologically, the 
paucity of fossil remains, and the paucity of natural exposures. 

STRUCTURE. 

Dip and strike. — The strata of the Coastal Plain dip southeastward 
and southward and the older formations strike northeastward. The 
dip of the Oligocene and Eocene strata and probably that of the 
Cretaceous strata also becomes flatter toward the south and south- 
east. (See PL IV.) A little to the north of the Florida line the strata 
become horizontal, and at the Florida line they appear to be slightly 
reversed and to be inclined to the north or northwest. 

The general slope of the surface, independent of the dip of the 
geologic formations, from the fall line to sea level, is about 3 feet 
to the mile. The slope of the crystalline floor at the fall line is 30 to 
75 feet to the mile, but whether this slope is constant as far as the 



GEOLOGY. 57 

present coast can only be a matter of speculation, for the full thickness 
of the sediments in the southern part of the Coastal Plain has not 
been determined. The oldest formations outcrop along the northern 
border of the Coastal Plain and dip southward, passing beneath 
the outcropping edges of successively younger formations. The 
maximum dip of the Cretaceous beds is probably 40 feet to the 
mile; their minimum dip is almost horizontal. The dip of the 
lower Eocene beds is from a few feet to probably 30 feet to the 
mile; and the dips of the succeeding formations up to the Alum Bluff 
are still natter, ranging from a few feet to perhaps 15 feet to the mile. 
The Alum Bluff formation dips verj' gently southeastward and 
southward and is probably almost horizontal near the Florida line. 
The Miocene beds, so far as known, are likewise almost horizontal. 
The Pleistocene deposits mantle the older formations and conform 
to the general inclination of the plain. 

Local displacements. — The strata of the Coastal Plain exhibit no 
great structural disturbances. Local disturbances of Cretaceous and 
Eocene beds have been noted along Chattahoochee River, and 
displacements of beds at other localities have been observed. None, 
however, are believed to be of magnitude, and all are probably the 
results of simple unimportant oscillations. These structural features 
can not be determined from the strike of the strata nor from the dips 
as seen in the outcrops, for those dips are in general so low that the 
strata appear almost horizontal. However, other lines of evidence 
are available. 

Chattahoochee anticline. — The nature of the drainage, together with 
certain geologic facts, suggests that Chattahoochee River occupies the 
crest of a southward pitching low anticline. The stream has held 
its course and cut its channel down through the rising strata and 
belongs, therefore, to the class of antecedent streams. (See fig. 2.) 
The course of the Chattahoochee is almost directly southward in 
contrast to the southeastward courses of the other major streams — 
the Altamaha, Ocmulgee, Oconee, Ogeechee, and Savannah. Flint 
River flows west of south and is apparently located in a broad 
shallow syncline complementary to the Chattahoochee anticline. 
From west of Cordele to its junction with the Chattahoochee, Flint 
River is clearly a subsequent stream. The river flows along the 
southeastern border of its valley at the foot of a bajada. The low 
relief of the valley has been produced, not by the synclinal depression, 
but mainly by the removal in solution of the materials composing the 
limestones of the Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations. The 
drainage divides of Chattahoochee and Flint rivers are strikingly 
unequal. (See PL III.) The tributaries of the Flint are much longer, 
notwithstanding that the Chattahoochee is much the larger stream. 
The interpretation is that the Flint River tributaries have been 



58 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OE GEORGIA. 



accentuated, at least in part, by the slope of the eastern limb of an 
anticline, whereas the Chattahoochee tributaries have developed 
under the adverse conditions present on the crest of an anticline. 
That there have been greater upward earth movements along the 
Chattahoochee than along the other rivers is indicated by the much 
greater depth of the Chattahoochee Valley and by the deep trench- 
like channels which the main river and its tributaries have cut in 
the latest Pleistocene plain. The depth of these channels is 40 to 60 




iooMO.es 



Figure 2.— Sketch map of the Coastal Plain of Georgia showing the relation of the drainage to the 

geologic structure. 

feet on the Chattahoochee and not more than 15 to 40 feet on other 
large rivers. The Chattahoochee is now probably deepening its 
channel, for it has developed little or no flood plain along its course. 
Geologic evidence of an anticline is afforded by the greater erosion 
and consequent exposure of the geologic formations along the Chat- 
tahoochee. The river has been able to cut into the older formations, 
revealing them with greater perfection than along any other Coastal 
Plain stream, probably by reason of the upward earth movements 
which have accelerated downward cutting. For example, the in- 
tercept of the Chattahoochee water level with the Vicksburg formation 
is about 50 miles farther south than the intercept on the Flint. The 
Vicksburg formation, however, closely parallels the river as far north 



GEOLOGY. 59 

as Fort Gaines, suggesting that a great width has been completely 
removed by erosion. Fort Gaines would probably have been near 
the intercept had the same strike of the formations prevailed in 
Georgia as in Alabama, and had there been no greater uplift along 
the Chattahoochee than along the Flint. Greater local disturbances 
of strata have been observed along the Chattahoochee than in other 
parts of the Coastal Plain, and this may be considered evidence of a 
general and greater earth movement. 

Withlacoocliee anticline. — -Physiographic and geologic evidence 
exists of a low fold or arch in the Oligocene strata in the area drained 
by Ochlockonee, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha rivers and extending 
along the Florida line from Decatur to Echols county and northward 
to Crisp and Wilcox counties. (See fig. 2, p. 58.) The limestones of 
the Chattahoochee formation appear in surface exposures in Lowndes, 
Brooks, Thomas, and Grady counties. This may be considered good 
evidence of an uplift, since, had the usual southeastward dip of the 
strata prevailed, the Chattahoochee formation would have been 
buried by later formations, as in the eastern part of the Coastal Plain. 
This arch is known as the Withlacoochee anticline. 

This broad arch or fold was formed subsequent to the deposition of 
the Alum Bluff formation, and may have been involved in the 
orogenic movement which produced the Chattahoochee anticline. 

In the area involved in this arching the rivers flow southward and 
appear to have had their courses determined by the original slope of 
the Coastal Plain, the normal direction of which is southward toward 
the Gulf of Mexico. In this respect these streams are in contrast to 
the streams of the Georgia Coastal Plain entering the Atlantic Ocean, 
nearly all of which have general southeasterly courses. 

Alapaha River, the most easterly of the streams traversing the 
Withlacoochee anticline, is almost devoid of tributaries on its east- 
ern side, and the divide separating its valley from the headwaters of 
Satilla River and the streams entering Okefenokee Swamp lies only 
a few miles east of the main river channel. To what extent this and 
other drainage peculiarities of the area have been produced by the 
arching has not been determined. 

Monocline in eastern Georgia. — The southeastward courses of the 
Satilla, Altamaha, Ocmulgee, Oconee, Ohoopee, Ogeechee, Savannah, 
and other streams suggest that the eastern half of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia is a monocline having a general southeastward pitch, and 
the dip and strike of the geologic formations afford conclusive proof 
of the existence of such a structure. 



60 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

CRETACEOUS SYSTEM. 

The Cretaceous deposits of Georgia include representatives of both 
the Lower and Upper Cretaceous series, which, in this report, are 
divided as follows: 

Upper Cretaceous: 
Ripley formation: 

Providence sand member. (A shallow-water phase of the formation.) 
Marine beds. 

Cusseta sand member. (A shallow- water phase of the formation.) 
Eutaw formation: 

Tombigbee sand member. (Massive, glauconitic, and calcareous marine 

sands, forming the upper part of the formation.) 
Sands, clays, and marls, chiefly of marine origin. 
Unconformity. 
Lower Cretaceous. Arkosic sands and clays. Not differentiated. 

LOWER, CRETACEOUS SERIES. 

Areal distribution. — The Lower Cretaceous deposits appear in sur- 
face outcrops in Georgia in an extremely irregular belt, 2 to 30 miles 
in width, extending entirely across the State from Chattahoochee 
River, in the vicinity of Columbus, northeastward to Savannah River, 
in the vicinity of Augusta. The irregularities of the belt are due 
partly to the unevenness of the surface of the basement rocks upon 
which the deposits rest, partly to overlaps of younger formations, and 
partly to the deep erosion valleys which the streams have developed 
along the fall line and which cause the underlying basement rocks 
and the Lower Cretaceous deposits to appear successively much farther 
southward beneath the younger formations, than they would have 
appeared on the early uneroded surface. This irregularity is most 
strikingly developed in the region between Ocmulgee and Savannah 
rivers. (See geologic map, PL III.) The area in which Lower Creta- 
ceous strata appear includes parts of Muscogee, Chattahoochee, Tal- 
bot, Marion, Taylor, Crawford, Bibb, Twiggs, Jones, Wilkinson, 
Baldwin, Washington, Hancock, Warren, Glascock, Jefferson, 
McDuffie, Columbia, and Richmond counties. 

Stratigrapliic position. — The Lower Cretaceous deposits in Georgia 
rest unconformably upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks, 
which are believed to be of pre-Cambrian age. The unconformity 
represents an enormous time interval, including all Paleozoic time 
and the Triassic and Jurassic periods of Mesozoic time. The surface 
of the crystalline rocks is very uneven in detail but, in general, slopes 
south and southeast beneath the Lower Cretaceous deposits. Calcu- 
lations from well borings at several places have shown that the slope 
in the region of the fall line is 30 to 75 feet to the mile. In Jefferson 
County a slope of between 35 and 40 feet to the mile is maintained 
for nearly 40 miles from the border of the Piedmont Plateau. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE V 




A. THOMAS BLUFF, CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER, SHOWING LOWER CRETACEOUS STRATA. 
View taken 1 mile below the mouth of Bull Creek, Muscogee County. 




B. CUT ON THE COLUMBUS-MACON ROAD, 3| MILES NORTHEAST OF COLUMBUS, MUSCOGEE 
COUNTY, SHOWING INDURATED LAYER OF LOWER CRETACEOUS ARKOSE. 



GEOLOGY. 61 

Between Chattahoochee and Ocmulgee rivers the Lower Creta- 
ceous deposits are unconformably overlain by Upper Cretaceous 
strata (Eutaw and Ripley formations) and by a very small outcrop 
of Eocene strata; between Ocmulgee and Savannah rivers they are 
unconformably overlain by Eocene strata. Where the belt is crossed 
by the larger streams the strata are overlain along the valley sides 
by thin terrace deposits of Pleistocene age. 

Lithologic diameter. — The Lower Cretaceous deposits consist pre- 
dominantly of arkosic sand (PI. V, A and B), with, however, a consid- 
erable amount of clay in the form of interbedded lenses and dissemi- 
nated grains and particles The sands are commonly coarse to very 
coarse in texture and are generally cross-bedded. They are composed 
largely of angular to subangular quartz grains but contain an impor- 
tant percentage of kaolin grains and fine kaolin particles, the latter 
in places filling the interstices between the sand grains. . They con- 
tain also subordinate amounts of undecomposed feldspar, mica, and 
various other minerals derived from the crystalline rocks of the adja- 
cent Piedmont Plateau. In places the sands have been indurated 
(see PI. V, B), and form friable sandstones. The lenses of clay vary 
widely in lithologic character, shape, and extent; in thickness they 
range from 1 inch or less to 40 feet, and in horizontal extent from a 
few square feet to many acres; lamination is rare. In general the 
clays are light drab or gray in color and are more or less sandy; locally, 
however, they are remarkably white and pure, approaching kaolin in 
composition, and are commercially valuable. 

For the most part the bedding of the deposits is very irregular, but 
in places a distinct banding of clay and sand is apparent, individual 
beds being traceable for considerable distances. Good examples of 
banding occur in the bluffs of Chattahoochee River below Columbus. 
(See PL V, A.) 

Lenses and layers of coarse gravel occur here and there, especially 
in the basal portions near the contact with the underlying crystalline 
rocks. Unconformities that have little or no time significance occur 
within the deposits. As the result of the shifting of the channels 
which produced these unconformities, interbedded lenses of clay have 
in places been torn to pieces and redeposited, as is shown by the large 
number of rolled clay balls and bowlders which locally are scattered 
through the sands. 

With the exception of faint, indeterminable impressions of leaves 
in white clays at Carrs station, Hancock County, no fossil remains 
have been discovered in these deposits in Georgia. 

The beds of coarse sand which predominantly compose the Lower 
Cretaceous strata are, with certain exceptions, of favorable texture 
for the storage and circulation of large quantities of water. (See 
pp. 124-125.) 



62 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Strike, dip, and thickness. — The strike of the Lower Cretaceous 
strata in Georgia ranges from N. 65° E., northeast of Macon, to nearly 
due east on Chattahoochee River at Columbus. The dip is east of 
south or south at right angles to the strike. On account of irregu- 
larity of bedding and the smallness of the exposures the exact amount 
of dip can not readily be determined. It is greater, however, than 
the grade of the water surface in the streams and probably averages 
25 to 30 feet to the mile. 

In the Chattahoochee region the estimated thickness of the Lower 
Cretaceous deposits where they pass beneath the overlying Eutaw 
formation is 375 feet. Calculations based on well data show that 
across the State along the line where the strata pass beneath the 
overlying Upper Cretaceous or Eocene formations, as the case may be, 
the total thickness of the deposits ranges from 350 to 600 feet, with 
perhaps local exceptions where the amount is less or greater. 

The Lower Cretaceous deposits extend coastward beneath the 
unconformably overlying younger formations for at least 10 miles 
and probably for many more; their limit in that direction is not 
known. 

UPPER CRETACEOUS SERIES. 
ETTTAW FORMATION. 

Areal distribution. — The Eutaw formation appears at the surface 
in a relatively small area in Georgia. Chattahoochee River cuts 
across the outcrop, exposing the beds from a point a short distance 
below the mouth of LTpatoi Creek, 9 miles below Columbus, to a point 
near Omaha, 2 or 3 miles below the Seaboard Air Line Railway bridge 
(see Pis. VI, A and B, and PI. VII, A\, a total distance of about 16 
miles. To the northeast, away from the river, the area of outcrop 
becomes narrower, including approximately the northeastern two- 
thirds of Chattahoochee County, a small portion of southwestern 
Muscogee Count} 7 , a strip several miles wide in the northern part of 
Marion County, and a very small portion of west-central Taylor 
County, ending in the western part of Taylor County. 

Stratigraphic position. — The formation in Georgia rests unconform- 
ably upon strata of Lower Cretaceous age and is conformably overlain 
by the Ripley formation. In limited areas bordering Chattahoochee 
River and Upatoi Creek the formation is unconformably overlain 
by thin terrace deposits of Pleistocene age. 

Lithologic character.— -The materials composing the Eutaw forma- 
tion vary considerably in lithologic character, both vertically and 
horizontally. In the region of Chattahoochee River the immediate 
base of the formation consists of coarse, arkosic, micaceous sands 
bearing a close resemblance to the underlying Lower Cretaceous 
sands. Interbedded with these sands are subordinate lenses of drab 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE VI 




'*r- 



A. BANK OF CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER AT BROKEN ARROW BEND, 1 CH MILES BELOW 
COLUMBUS, SHOWING LAYERS OF NODULAR, CALCAREOUS CONCRETIONS IN THE 
BASAL MARINE BEDS OF THE EUTAW FORMATION. 




B. BLUFF BELOW BANKS LANDING, CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER, LEFT BANK, 26| MILES 
BELOW COLUMBUS, SHOWING GRAY CALCAREOUS SANDS AND SANDY CLAYS WITH 
INDURATED LAYERS BELONGING TO THE TOMBIGBEE SAND MEMBER OF THE EUTAW 
FORMATION. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE VII 




A. SLICK BLUFF, CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER, RIGHT BANK, 
14 MILES BELOW COLUMBUS, SHOWING GREENISH- 
GRAY CLAY OF THE EUTAW FORMATION. 




;UT ON COLUMBUS-LUMPKIN ROAD, 13 MILES SOUTH OF COLUMBUS, IN CHATTAHOOCHEE 
COUNTY, SHOWING UNCONSOLIDATED SAND OF THE EUTAW FORMATION. 



GEOLOGY. 63 

to black laminated clay, in places bearing leaf remains and considera- 
ble though scattered quantities of lignite in the form of comminuted 
particles, twigs, branches, and logs. 

Immediately above the coarse basal sands are 50 feet or more of 
medium to fine, gray to dark-gray, more or less micaceous and. cal- 
careous sands and clays, indurated in some layers to nodular impure 
limestones. (See PL VI, A and B.) These materials are fossiliferous 
and in places contain large numbers of shells and shell prints. The 
character of the materials and the nature of the entombed organisms 
prove this portion of the formation to be of marine origin. 

The bluffs along the Euchee Rapids, Chattahoochee River, reveal 
40 feet or more of greenish-gray, compact, marine clay, which lies 
closely above the marine sands and- clays just described. (See PL 
VII, A.) This clay is overlain by dark, laminated clays with thin, 
interbedded layers of sand. Above the laminated beds are coarse and 
fine sands locally indurated to ferruginous sandstones, examples of 
which may be seen at Moores, Betons, and Codys rocks, between 
Euchee Creek and Chimney Bluff. A massive bed of fine to medium 
grained unconsolidated sand that probably represents this portion 
of the formation in Chattahoochee County east of the river is shown in 
Plate VII, B. Dark lignitic clays and fight to white unconsolidated 
sands of shallow-water origin overlie the coarse sands, being best 
exhibited in the basal part of the exposure at Chimney Bluff, where 
the clays contain poorly preserved leaf remains. 

Above the lignitic beds and forming the upper 120 feet of the 
formation are beds of massive gray or greenish-gray calcareous and 
more or less argillaceous sand, with some interbedded layers of gray 
calcareous sandy clay. (See PL VI, B.) These sands are more or 
less glauconitic and micaceous, and iron pyrites is fairly common. 
Nodular layers of sandy limestone and calcareous sandstone appear at 
vertical intervals of several feet as prominent projecting ledges along 
the faces of the bluffs. Fossils are common and certain layers contain 
shells in great abundance, forming shell marls. These massive ma- 
rine sands and clays constitute the Tombigbee sand member of the 
Eutaw formation. 

Northeastward from Chattahoochee River, in Chattahoochee and 
Marion counties, the massive marine beds, including the Tombigbee 
sand member, eventually merge into much coarser and more irregularly 
bedded deposits which doubtless originated near shore in shallow 
water or even in sounds and estuaries. Here, on account of simi- 
larity of materials, the formation is separable with difficulty from 
the overlying "Ripley formation. 

The irregularly bedded loose sands of shallow-water origin, which 
make up a considerable part of the formation, are favorable in extent 
and in texture to the circulation and storage of fairly large quantities 



64 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

of potable though somewhat mineralized waters. The availability 
of this formation as a source of water supply is discussed more fully 
on page 125. 

Strike, dip, and thickness. — On the Georgia side of Chattahoochee 
River the beds of this formation strike N. 60°-75° E.; on the Ala- 
bama side they strike nearly east and west. 

The Tombigbee member, which forms the upper part of the forma- 
tion, is regularly bedded and dips approximately 20 feet to the mile, 
as estimated from exposures along Chattahoochee River. The 
remainder of the formation, beneath the Tombigbee member, is irreg- 
ularly bedded, and it has not been possible to make reliable dip 
measurements; however, it is probably safe to infer that in no part 
of the formation does the dip exceed 40 feet to the mile. 

The total thickness of the formation has been estimated to be 
approximately 550 feet. 

RIPLEY FORMATION. 

Areal distribution. — The Ripley formation appears at low-water 
level in the bluffs of Chattahoochee River from a point about 40 
miles below Columbus, near Florence, Ga., to a point, not accurately 
determined, near Othos Landing, about 15 miles below Eufaula, Ala. 
It extends northeastward from the river in a belt 8 to 15 miles wide 
that includes parts of Clay, Quitman, Stewart, Webster, Chatta- 
hoochee, Marion, Schley, Macon, Taylor, Crawford, Houston, and 
Twiggs counties. In Twiggs, Houston, southeastern Crawford, and 
eastern Macon counties the formation is concealed by a relatively 
thin blanket of overlapping Eocene strata, except where the latter 
have been removed by stream erosion. 

Stratigraphic position.- — In western Georgia the formation is con- 
formable with the underlying Eutaw formation. To the northeast, 
however, from the eastern part of Taylor County, through Crawford 
and Bibb counties to Ocmulgee River, the Eutaw formation, which 
in the Chattahoochee region intervenes between the Lower Cretaceous 
deposits and the Ripley formation, is believed to be absent, and the 
Ripley strata rest directly upon the Lower Cretaceous deposits. In 
Macon, Crawford, Houston, and Twiggs counties the formation is 
concealed over a considerable part of the area, in which it would 
otherwise appear at the surface, by a thin overlap of Eocene strata 
from the south; in Twiggs County, east of Ocmulgee River, the forma- 
tion passes finally beneath overlapping Eocene beds. 

Thin terrace deposits of Pleistocene age rest upon the beds of this 
formation in small areas bordering Chattahoochee, Flint, and Ocmul- 
gee rivers. 

Lithologic character. — The exposures of the Ripley formation in the 
bluffs of Chattahoochee River, except, possibly, those in the upper 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE VIM 




A. NARROWS OF PATAULA CREEK, 9 MILES NORTH OF FORT GAINES, SHOWING CALCAREOUS 
MARINE SAND OF THE RIPLEY FORMATION CONTAINING INDURATED LAYERS. 




B. WATERFALL AT UPPER END OF NARROWS OF PATAULA CREEK. 
Falls are produced by a hard calcareous layer. 



U. 6. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE IX 




A. CUT ON SEABOARD AIR LINE RAILWAY AT MANTA STATION, SHOWING CUSSETA SAND 
MEMBER OF THE RIPLEY FORMATION OVERLAIN BY TYPICAL MARINE BEDS OF THAT 
FORMATION. 




B. GULLY 10| MILES NORTHEAST OF GEORGETOWN, SHOWING COARSE, UNCONSOLIDATED 
SANDS OF THE PROVIDENCE SAND MEMBER OF THE RIPLEY FORMATION. 



GEOLOGY. 65 

part of the high hill at Bluff town in Stewart County and the upper 
part of Stewarts Hill in Quitman County, all reveal materials of a 
strictly marine character. These are gray, calcareous, massive sands 
and clays of moderately deep-water, offshore origin, with interbedded 
darker clays and unconsolidated, yellowish, calcareous sands and shell 
marls of near-shore, shallow, marine origin. Typical marine strata 
of the formation are shown in Plate VIII, A and B. The shallow- 
water phases contain in places fragmentary bones of dinosaurs, 
mososaurs, crocodiles, and turtles, some reptile teeth, numerous 
sharks' teeth of several species, and a few other fish teeth. In the 
exposures at Woohidge Landing and vicinity these vertebrate remains 
are closely associated with an undescribed species of gigantic oyster 
and with a large number of other species of mollusks. 

Northeastward from Chattahoochee River the basal 200 or 300 
feet of the formation merges along the strike into shallow water 
equivalents (the Cusseta sand member), which differ in their essen- 
tial lithologic characters from the typical beds. The uppermost 130 
feet or more of the formation also merges along the strike, both to 
the northeast in Georgia and to the west in Alabama, into similar 
shallow-water equivalents (the Providence sand member) . 

The Cusseta sand member consists of irregularly bedded, uncon- 
solidated sands with subordinate lenses of clay, of shallow-water 
origin. (See PI. IX, A.) The member outcrops at the surface in 
a belt which includes parts of Stewart, Chattahoochee, Marion, 
Schley, Taylor, Macon, Crawford, Houston, Bibb, and Twiggs coun- 
ties. In Stewart and Chattahoochee counties the sands vary from 
fine to coarse in texture and are somewhat arkosic. Farther north- 
east, in Marion County, the materials become coarser, although 
rather fine phases are not uncommon. This same predominance of 
coarse materials holds throughout the remainder of the outcrop, but, 
as in Marion County, finer sands occur locally. The clay lenses in 
these sands are commonly fight drab or even white, are massive, and 
in places resemble the clays of the Lower Cretaceous. Locally they 
are thinly laminated. At a few places carbonaceous clays, both 
massive and laminated, containing considerable amounts of com- 
minuted plant remains, have been noted, and fossil leaves have been 
collected at two localities. The similarity of the materials of the 
Cusseta sand member to the materials of the shallow-water phase of 
the Eutaw formation, in its eastern extension, renders the two for- 
mations separable with difficulty. The same is true of the Cusseta 
and the overlying Proviaence sand members in the region between 
Flint and Ocmulgee rivers. 

The Providence sand member consists predominantly of coarse, 
irregularly bedded sands with subordinate, light-colored clays in the 
38418°— wsp 341—15 5 



66 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

form of lenses and layers. (See PL IX, B.) In Georgia the member 
outcrops in a long, narrow belt lying along the southern border of 
the Cretaceous area in parts of Quitman, Stewart, Webster, Marion, 
Schley, Macon, Houston, and Twiggs counties. The sands are com- 
monly coarse but contain finer phases, especially toward the base of 
the member in the zone of transition from the underlying typical 
marine beds to the overlying coarser beds of the member. Rolled 
clay balls are numerous at many places in the sands. In Houston 
County the member contains notable lenses of white clay, which have 
been mined in a small way and which give promise of becoming of 
commercial importance in the future. 

The typical marine beds, the "Renfroes marl" of Veatch, which 
intervene between the Cusseta and Providence members, are trace- 
able in a narrow belt from the Chattahoochee region through Stewart, 
Chattahoochee, Marion, and Schley counties to Macon County, 
where they appear to pinch out, so far as can be determined from 
surface outcrops between the underlying and overlying shallow- 
water members. Beyond this point to the eastern limit of the sur- 
face occurrence of the formation the two members, each of which has 
gradually increased its thickness, are in conformable contact with 
each other and together appear to represent the whole thickness of 
the formation. However, there is evidence that buried representa- 
tives of the typical marine beds extend eastward at least as far as 
Marshallville, where calcareous beds have been penetrated in a well 
boring. 

Both the Cusseta and Providence sand members are favorable in 
texture and structure to the circulation and storage of large quanti- 
ties of potable waters. The typical marine beds are less favorable, 
although they too have yielded fair supplies at certain places. The 
availability of this formation as a source of water supply is discussed 
more fully on pages 125-126. 

Strike, dip, and thickness. — -The beds of the Ripley formation in the 
greater part of Georgia strike N. 60°-70° E., but in the area west of 
Chattahoochee River they strike nearly east. The estimated thickness 
of the formation, where it intercepts Chattahoochee River, is approx- 
imately 950 feet. No reliable measurements of thickness elsewhere 
in Georgia have been obtained, but there is reason to believe that a 
comparable thickness exists both to the northeast along the belt of 
outcrop and to the southeast in the buried extension of the formation. 



GEOLOGY. 67 

TERTIARY SYSTEM. 

EOCENE SERIES. 
MIDWAY FORMATION. 

Areal distribution. — -The Midway formation outcrops in a relatively 
narrow northeast-southwest belt, extending from Fort Gaines on 
Chattahoochee River to Montezuma on Flint River and thence for a 
short distance into Houston County. On the Chattahoochee the for- 
mation has a width of about 8 miles, on the Flint a width of about 
15 miles, and between the two rivers an average width of 8 to 10 
miles. The formation appears at the surface over parts of Clay, 
Quitman, Stewart, Randolph, Marion, Schley, Webster, and Macon 
counties and extends eastward from Flint River probably as far as 
Myrtle on the Perry branch of the Central of Georgia Railway in 
Houston County. No occurrence is known east of Ocmulgee River, 
beyond which the formation is probably overlapped by higher Eocene 
formations. 

Stratigrapliic 'position. — -The Midway formation rests unconform- 
ably upon the Upper Cretaceous. Irregular contacts that appear to 
represent erosion unconformities between the two divisions have been 
noted, especially in the gullies north and west of Lumpkin, Stewart 
County. The strata of the basal Midway and of the Upper Creta- 
ceous seem to be lithologically similar, and on account of inadequate 
exposures considerable difficulty is experienced in determining the 
exact location and nature of the contact. 

A probable contact between the Cretaceous and the Eocene is 
exposed in the first railroad cut east of the depot at Lumpkin, where 
the base of the Eocene consists of 4 to 6 feet of iron-stained clay 
containing ferruginous sandy layers bearing poorly preserved fossils, 
resting upon light-colored sandy clay of probable Cretaceous age. 
The evidence of an unconformity is, however, slight. Another prob- 
able unconformity has been noted about 1^ miles south of Lumpkin 
on the Cuthbert public road, where a ferruginous sand is separated 
from a kaolinic sand by a line of pebbles and is nearly approached on 
the south by apparent Eocene strata. 

In Marion, Schley, and Macon counties the Midway formation lies 
in contact with the Upper Cretaceous, but the two closely resemble 
each other in lithologic character, and in mapping it is not possible to 
draw a sharp line between them. The Midway formation consists 
mainly of unconsolidated red, purplish, and white sands in which 
thin, siliceous limonitic layers and crusts and highly ferruginous 
sandstones are common. Thin beds of impure clay also occur, but 
neither the clays nor the ferruginous sandstones contain well-preserved 
fossils. 



68 UNDERGROUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

A probable contact between the Upper Cretaceous and the Midway 
formation occurs in a cut of the Central of Georgia Railway, a mile 
east of Buena Vista, the two divisions being separated by thin limo- 
nitic layers embedded in a stained clay. The lower part of the section 
is white or light-colored sand and sandy clay (Cretaceous), and the 
upper part, probably representing the Eocene, is a bright-red fer- 
ruginous sand. 

At Underwood Ferry, on Flint River, 6 miles southwest of Mar- 
shallville, Macon County, the base of the bluff consists of gray or yel- 
low rather compact argillaceous sand containing poorly preserved 
fossils. From this locality a specimen of Venericardia planicosta was 
obtained and on the basis of this fossil the strata are classed as 
Eocene. This is evidently near the northern margin of the Eocene, 
but its relations to the Cretaceous in this vicinity are obscure. It is 
also not positively known whether this sand represents the Midway 
or the Wilcox formation. 

A gray and black laminated sandy clay bearing Venericardia plani- 
costa was also discovered at Barrows Mill in Houston County, 5 
miles east of Marshallville, where a poorly exposed unconformity 
may represent a Cretaceous-Eocene contact. Venericardia plani- 
costa and. Turritella humerosa were obtained in a similar sandy clay 
on Robert Slappy's land, 4 miles east of Marshallville, but the 
fossils are inadequate for determining whether the exposure is Midway 
or Wilcox. 

No good physical evidence of an unconformity representing a con- 
siderable time interval between the Cretaceous and Midway has yet 
been discovered in Georgia, but there is paleontologic evidence that 
this interval is as great here as in adjoining States. 

At Fort Gaines the Midway is separated from the overlying Wilcox 
by a pronounced unconformity. 

Surficial gray and brownish sand is spread over the formation in 
places and Pleistocene terrace deposits overlie it along Chattahoochee 
and Flint rivers. 

Lithologic character. — The Midway is mainly a marine formation 
of sands, clays, marls, and limestones. Its lower part consists prin- 
cipally of sands and clays, and its upper part of marls, clays, and 
limestones, but the sediments are so varied in character that sharp 
division lines can not be drawn on the basis of lithology. Thin layers 
of flint interbedded with sands and clays have been noted in the lower 
part of the formation. The sands are varicolored, generally friable, 
and in several places contain lenticular, massive layers of white clay. 
In the lower part of the formation limonite is rather widely distrib- 
uted in the sands in the form of thin crusts and as hollow concretions 
having black, polished, and botryoidal exteriors. The limestones are 
fossiliferous — more abundantly so than other parts of the formation. 



GEOLOGY. 69 

They are very hard and are generally highly arenaceous, though at a 
few places sufficiently pure for use in the manufacture of lime. They 
are conspicuous at several localities. Individual beds of limestone 
in natural exposures are thin, from 2 to 25 feet in thickness, and are 
interbedded with clays, marls, and sands. Friable marls made up of 
glauconite, quartz sand, clay, and shells occur, as do also laminated 
black clay and fuller's earth. Sands and clays make up by far the 
greater part of the deposits. The lithologic character and the char- 
acter of the fossils indicate a very shallow water deposition for the 
whole formation. 

Thickness. — The thickness of the Midway formation (referred by 
Langdon to the Clayton limestone of the Midway group, as used in 
Alabama) on Chattahoochee River was estimated by Langdon 1 to 
be 218 feet. The width of the outcrop on the Chattahoochee is about 
8 miles, and it is believed that Langdon's estimate is nearly correct, 
though probably too large rather than too small. The thickness of 
the formation probably increases to the northeast and may reach 400 
feet on Flint River, where the width of outcrop is about 15 miles. 

Paleontologic character. — The collections of fossils from the forma- 
tion are rather meager. This is due to a paucity „of fossils in the 
exposed beds of the formation rather than to insufficient field work, 
for all the best-known exposures have been visited. Ostrea crenuli- 
marginata seems to be a characteristic species, being found at nearly 
every outcrop of limestone and marl. The basal part of the forma- 
tion, which consists mainly of sands and clays, is very poor in fossils. 
Venericardia planicosta, Turritella, and other forms occur, but these 
are common to other Eocene formations. One of the characteristic 
fossils of the formation in Alabama, Enclimatoceras ulricJii, has not 
thus far been found in Georgia. The following is a complete list of 
the forms identified: 



Crassatellites. 

Venericardia planicosta Lamarck. 

Venericardia smithii Aldrich. 

Cardium sp. 

Protocardia sp. 

Cytherea ripleyana (Gabb). 



Turritella mortoni Conrad. 
Turritella humerosa Conrad. 
Mesalia alabamiensis (Whitfield). 
Area sp. 

Ostrea crenulimarginata Gabb. 
Ostrea pulaskensis Harris. 
Lithodomus gainesensis Harris. 

The determinations are by T. W. Vaughan from collections made 
by Veatch, McCallie, and Stephenson. 

Physiographic expression. — The topography of the area underlain 
by the Midway is broken and hilly, somewhat resembling the Creta- 
ceous area to the northward, and contrasting with the level topogra- 
phy of the areas to the south underlain by Claiborne, Jackson, and 

i Langdon, D. W., Geology of the Coastal Plain: Alabama Geol. Survey, p. 369, 1894. 



70 TJNDEEGBOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 

Oligocene strata. A few lime sinks occur in the vicinity of Fort 
Gaines and north of Cuthbert. 

Structure. — The Midway formation presents no notable structural 
features. It strikes about N. 60° E. and dips gently east of south in 
conformity with the inclination of the older formations of the Coastal 
Plain, but its inclination can not be determined accurately on account 
of the discontinuity of exposures of individual beds and the wide 
variations due to local disturbances. As a whole the dip is roughly 
estimated at 20 to 30 feet per mile. This rate, however, is probably 
not maintained southward under cover of later formations, for a 
fossil, apparently the Cretaceous Exogyra costata, was found in the 
borings of an artesian well at Albany at a depth of 500-510 feet. 
(See p. 236.) Local crumpling of clay beds and very high local angles 
of dip, especially in Stewart, Randolph, and Quitman counties, may 
be the results of the movements that produced the Chattahoochee 
anticline. 

WILCOX FORMATION. 

Area! distribution. — The Wilcox formation outcrops in a belt 
extending northeastward from the vicinity of Fort Gaines on Chatta- 
hoochee River probably to Flint River in the northeastern part of 
Sumter County; east of the Flint it has not been certainly recognized. 
The width of the outcrop is believed to average not more than 5 or 6 
miles. The formation is to some extent overlapped and obscured by 
the McBean and Vicksburg formations. 

Stratigrapliic position. — The Wilcox formation includes the strata 
lying between the Midway formation and the Claiborne group. At 
Fort Gaines, on Chattahoochee River, the Wilcox and Midway forma- 
tions are separated by a pronounced erosion unconformity manifested 
by large holes, 20 feet or more deep, which have been worn in the 
white limestone of the Midway formation and filled by black sandy 
clay of the overlying formation. In the same locality paleontologic 
and lithologic differences also serve to separate the two formations. 
East of this locality, however, the paucity of the fossils, the fact that 
no unconformity could be discovered, and the unsatisfactory character 
of the evidence furnished by the lithologic composition, has rendered 
the discrimination of the two formations very difficult, and has made 
the mapping of the boundary line necessarily tentative. 

The contact of the Wilcox with the overlying Claiborne group, 
where observed, is marked by an undulating line of small pebbles or 
a stratum of coarse sand but shows no physical evidence of the lapse 
of any considerable time interval between the deposition of the two. 
An unconformity marking the contact between the Claiborne group 
and the Wilcox formation has been noted, questionably in the bluff 
at Fort Gaines, 50 to 55 feet above Chattahoochee River; in a cut of 
the Central of Georgia Railway 2\ miles west of Cuthbert; at Halls 



GEOLOGY. 71 

Bridge on Kinchafoonee Creek, 7 miles southwest of Plains; doubt- 
fully in the public road at Blacks Mills 5 miles north of Plains; and 1| 
miles southeast of Anderson ville, on the south side of Sweetwater 
Creek, about a mile below Hodges Mill. Unfortunately, the strata 
are not fossiliferous, except at Fort Gaines, and the evidence that 
the unconformities are of stratigraphic importance is not entirely 
conclusive. 

Litliologic character. — On Chattahoochee River the formation is 
made up of sandy glauconitic shell marl, dark-colored laminated, 
largely lignitic sandy clay, in places consolidated into mudstone, and 
commonly dark or gray glauconitic and lignitic sand. The laminated 
clay exposed in the bluff at Fort Gaines can be traced northeastward, 
and in Randolph County north and west of Cuthbert has the nature 
of fuller's earth, in places glauconitic. At Greer Cave a considerable 
thickness of varicolored and kaolinic sand apparently lies between 
the clay of the Wilcox formation and the limestone of the Midway 
formation. Black and drab laminated glauconitic clay and sand 
were observed on Bear Creek northeast of Weston, Webster County. 
Gray and black argillaceous and glauconitic sand appears at Magnolia 
Spring, 2\ miles north of Plains; in the bed of a branch on the old 
Morgan plantation, 6 miles northeast of Plains; and at Halls Bridge, 
on Kinchafoonee Creek 7 miles southwest of Plains. Farther east in 
Schley and Macon counties and in the vicinity of Andersonville, the 
strata which might be referred to this formation on the basis of 
geographic position are mainly red and varicolored sands with massive 
beds of white clay, very pure and in the nature of sedimentary kaolin, 
bearing little resemblance to the strata on Chattahoochee River. 

Thickness. — Langdon 1 estimated the thickness of the formation 
on Chattahoochee River at 402 feet; but this is excessive, for at 
Fort Games the thickness is certainly not more than 60 or 75 feet. 
A natural exposure of the formation at Peterson Hill, 4| miles north- 
west of Cuthbert, reveals about 100 feet of strata. The following is 
the record 2 of a well at Shellman, Randolph County : 

Record of well at Shellman. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Red clay 

Quicksand 

Blue marl 

Very hard limestone 

Water-bearing formation 



Feet. 

18 
130 
152 
100 

10 



Feet. 
18 
148 
300 
400 
410 



1 Langdon, D. W., loc. cit. 

2 McCaUie, S. W., Underground waters of Georgia: Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 156, 1908. 



72 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

If the limestone layer is the same as the limestone of the Midway- 
formation exposed at Greer Cave, about 16 miles to the northwest, 
the overlying 152 feet of "blue marl" may belong to the Wilcox 
formation. 

There is no positive proof that strata of Wilcox age outcrop on 
Flint Kiver, where the formation may be entirely overlapped by the 
Claiborne group, but if the strata between the Midway and the 
McBean or Vicksburg formations at Dripping Bluff, 9 miles south 
of Oglethorpe, are Wilcox, the thickness of the latter is perhaps 100 
feet. The maximum thickness at any place in the area of outcrop 
probably does not exceed 150 or 200 feet. 

Paleontologic character. — The formation is poorly fossiliferous in 
Georgia. The following forms have been identified by T. W. Vaughan 
from collections made by Mr. Veatch east of Chattahoochee Kiver: 



Actseon. 

Turritella mortoni Conrad. 

Turritella prsecincta Conrad. * 

Ostrea thirsse (Gabb). 

Venericardia planicosta Lamarck. 

Cardium. 

Calyptrea aperta (Solander). 



Dentalium. 

Leda pbarcida Dall. 

Glycymeris. 

Protocardia. 

Cytherea. 

Cassidulus (?) sp. 



The following fossils were obtained 5 J miles south of Lumpkin: 



Nucula sp. 

Paracyathus? sp. 

Cucullsea macrodonta Whitfield. 

Cytherea sp. 



Endopachys maclurii (Lea). 1 
Pyrula juvenis Whitfield? 
Turritella sp. 

Leda (apparently pharcida Dall). 
Cytherea nutalliopsis Heilprin? 

The species Ostrea thirsas, O. compressirostra, Ohlamys greggi, and 
Cucullsea macrodonta have been identified from beds near Fort Gaines. 
From beds 4J miles northeast of Preston and from a flint bed 1 mile 
south of Preston T. W. Vaughan has identified O. thirsse, a small 
oyster considered characteristic of the Wilcox formation. As the 
collections are small and the material in general poorly preserved, the 
stratigraphic deductions from the fossils can not be made with the 
same surety for Georgia as for States to the west, where fossils are 
more abundant and better preserved. Possibly these beds belong to 
the Midway. 

Physiographic expression. — The area underlain by the formation 
is small and presents no notable physiographic features. The topog- 
raphy of the area is rather broken and hilly, resembling that of the 
area to the north underlain by the Midway formation. 

Structure. — The Midway strata strike about N. 55° E. and dip 
southeastward at a rate that can not be accurately estimated but 
that is probably less than 30 feet to the mile over the area of outcrop 

i Endopachys maclurii suggests Claiborne, Cucullxa macrodonta is usually not later than Wilcox. — T. W. 
Vaughan. 



GEOLOGY. 73 

and is perhaps less than half as much under cover of the later forma- 
tions to the south. No evidence of local deformation has been noted, 
although such deformation may have taken place in the area adjacent 
to Chattahoochee River, where slight disturbances have been noted in 
the Midway formation. 

CLAIBORNE GROUP. 

SUBDIVISIONS. 

The Claiborne group or, where the strata representing the group 
are not subdivided into constituent formations, the Claiborne forma- 
tion derives its name from the old town of Claiborne, on Alabama 
River, Ala. 

In Alabama the Claiborne group is subdivided, from the top down- 
ward, into the Gosport greensand, the Lisbon formation, and the 
Tallahatta buhrstone. Although in a general way the correlatives 
of these formations may be recognized in Georgia, the use of these 
terms in the latter State is inappropriate, for the Claiborne group is 
not naturally divisible into the same units as in Alabama. In 
Georgia the group is divided into two formations — the Barnwell sand 
at the top and the McBean formation at the base, the latter including a 
phase to which the name Congaree clay member has been given. It is, 
however, difficult to distinguish between the weathered phases of the 
McBean formation and the overlying Barnwell sand and no attempt 
has been made to map the two formations separately, the Claiborne 
group being given one color on the geologic map. 

MCBEAN FORMATION. 

Areal distribution. — The McBean formation outcrops in an 
extremely irregular belt, which varies in width from a few miles to 25 
or more and extends entirely across the State. Between Savannah 
and Ocmulgee rivers this belt lies south of the Lower Cretaceous 
outcrops, and between Ocmulgee and Chattahoochee rivers it lies 
south of the Midway and Wilcox outcrops. East of Flint River 
its exposures have been studied in Columbia, Richmond, Burke, 
McDuffie, Jefferson, Glascock, Washington, Baldwin, Wilkinson, 
Jones, Twiggs, Bibb, and Houston counties. Exposures occur also 
on Flint and Chattahoochee rivers. East of Ocmulgee River the 
group originally entirely concealed the Lower Cretaceous deposits 
and lapped over on the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau; but 
the region has since been extensively dissected by erosion and the 
crystalline rocks and Cretaceous strata are now exposed along the 
lower slopes and bottoms of the valleys; the northern boundary of 
the formation is therefore extremely irregular. South of the area 
of outcrop Claiborne group fossils, probably from the McBean forma- 
tion, have been obtained between the depths 347 and 364.5 feet 
from a well at Herndon, Jenkins County. (See section, p. 293.) 



74 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Stratigraphic position. — East of Ocmulgee River the McBean 
formation rests unconformably upon strata of Lower Cretaceous age. 
The unconformity represents a long interval of time, for the two 
lower Eocene formations, the Wilcox and Midway, and all the Upper 
Cretaceous deposits, aggregating a thickness of 3,000 feet or more, 
are absent. Tongues of McBean strata extend northward on the 
divides across the Cretaceous rocks and in places lap over the crys- 
talline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau. The most notable overlaps 
arc at Roberts, Harlem, and Grovetown. 

Between Flint and Chattahoochee rivers the McBean formation 
rests upon the Wilcox formation. Along Chattahoochee River, in 
the vicinity of Fort Gaines, an erosion unconformity, probably of 
minor time importance, seems to separate the Wilcox and the McBean 
formations. 

The formation in eastern Georgia is overlain by the Barnwell sand, 
which in this region constitutes the upper formation of the Claiborne 
group. The relations between the two formations are somewhat 
obscure. Along its northern areal margin the Barnwell sand is 
apparently separated from the McBean formation by an unconformity 
of slight time importance, but farther southward it seems to rest 
conformably upon the McBean. It seems probable that near the 
end of the deposition of the McBean formation an uplift brought the 
northern margin of the area of Claiborne deposition above sea level, 
permitting erosion to take place in the emerged area, while deposition 
continued in the area which remained under water. The uplift was 
of short duration, however, the emerged tract soon being submerged 
again, allowing deposition to continue over the whole belt. 

The Barnwell sand is believed to be present west of Flint River, 
where its relations to the underlying McBean formation are doubtless 
the same as in the area east of the river. 

Lithologic character. — -The formation consists mainly of shell 
marls, sandy limestones, calcareous, glauconitic sands and clays in 
the nature of fuller's earth. The marls are for the most part massive 
bedded and friable, but hard, compact, and even partly silicified 
beds have been noted on Savannah River. In places layers of marl or 
calcareous sand alternate with laminated clays. The greatest thick- 
ness of the marl beds is in the Savannah River bluffs at Shell Bluff, 
where a thickness of over 100 feet is exposed. (See PI. X, B.) 

The marls of the McBean formation reach their greatest develop- 
ment on Savannah River; they extend southward from Shell Bluff 
about 11 miles in a direct line to a point 1^ miles below Griffins Land- 
ing where they appear in the bluff 50 feet above the water level. 
Westward from Savannah River marls are exposed near McBean, 
Louisville, Tennille, Sandersville, and elsewhere. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE X 




A. EXPOSURE OF THE McBEAN FORMATION (CLAIBORNE GROUP) ON AN ISLAND AT THE 
MOUTH OF OMUSEE CREEK, CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER, 2 MILES BELOW COLUMBIA, HOUSTON 
COUNTY, ALA. 




PORTION OF OSTREA GEORGIANA BED OF THE McBEAN FORMATION DISPLACED BY 
LANDSLIDE AT SHELL BLUFF, SAVANNAH RIVER, BURKE COUNTY. 



GEOLOGY. 75 

The strata between Flint and Chattahoochee rivers present a close 
general lithologic similarity to those of the eastern area. Along the 
northern margin of the formation, red, rather coarse sands at the 
surface overlie laminated or thin-bedded clays, while southward or 
seaward the beds are calcareous, and sandy marls, very similar to 
those along Savannah River, interbedded with clay, are overlain by 
red sand similar to the Barnwell sand. Flint is apparently absent, 
but there are some thin layers of sandstone or quartzite in the sand. 
Clay or fuller's earth is less extensively developed, but this phase is 
represented by drab, laminated, fossiliferous clays, such as occur at the 
base of the formation at Fort Gaines. 

The Flint River exposures are friable calcareous sands, sandy 
limestones, marls, and sandstones. On Chattahoochee River Lang- 
don recognized a lower buhrstone member and an upper calcareous 
member. Here as elsewhere the formation presents a variety of 
lithologic phases, including gray glauconitic limestones, marls resem- 
bling those on Savannah River, calcareous clays and claystones, and 
red and varicolored unconsolidated sands. (See PI. X, J..) 

Exposures of the formation are of small areal extent, and the marls 
and other materials have had but little effect on the soils of the region 
underlain by them. 

The marls are commonly replete with fossils, the casts and shells of 
mollusca being the most common. Vertebrate remains (fish teeth 
and fragments of bones), Bryozoa, and corals have been collected. 

A portion of the McBean formation consists principally of fuller's 
earth and drab or greenish sandy clays. This is a depositional phase 
of the terrane, and is best exposed along the northern margin of the 
formation, from Grovetown, Columbia County, to near Macon. This 
phase has. been named the Congaree clay member of the McBean 
formation. (See p. 77.) 

The McBean formation as a whole is marine in aspect and was 
doubtless deposited near shore in shallow water. 

Thickness. — The thickness of the McBean formation east of Ocmul- 
gee River is estimated to be 300 to 400 feet. The maximum exposed 
thickness occurs at Shell Bluff, Savannah River, where 115 feet of 
strata was measured. The thickness of the Claiborne group near 
Louisville, Jefferson County, estimated from the record of an oil- 
prospecting well, is 350 feet, the greater part of which is referable to 
this formation; however, the upper 68 feet may belong to the Barn- 
well sand. The lithologic character of borings obtained from a well 
at Waynesboro indicates that at that place the maximum thickness of 
the Claiborne group is not over 500 feet and may be less; all except 
about 100 feet of this is referable to the McBean formation. In parts 
of the area over which the McBean is the surface formation, the thick- 
ness will vary from 50 feet or less to 150 feet. The thickness along 



76 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Ocmulgee and Oconee rivers is certainly much less than that along 
Savannah River, a fact suggesting the existence of a structural basin 
in the Savannah area during the Claiborne epoch. 

Between Ocmulgee and Chattahoochee rivers, where the Barnwell 
sand lias not been certainly identified, the thickness of the Claiborne 
group seems to be less than in Burke County. 

On Chattahoochee River the estimated thickness of the Claiborne 
group is 150 or 200 feet. On the Flint, judging from the width of the 
outcrop, the thickness is not greater than that on the Chattahoochee 
and is probably less. The thickness between these two rivers, as 
shown by natural exposures, is not greater than 150 or 200 feet. 

Paleontologic character. — The most extensive collection from any 
single locality in the area underlain by this formation was made by 
Earle Sloan at Sloans Scarp on McBean Creek, between McBean 
station and Savannah River. Sloan submitted his fossils to T. W. 
Vaughan, who contributes the following notes: 

In Georgia the McBean formation includes two paleontologic horizons. The lower 
one is especially characterized by Pleurotoma nodocarinata Gabb, Turritella nasuta 
Gabb, Turritella nasuta var. houstonia Harris, Ostrea sellxformis Conrad, Pteropsis 
lapidosa Conrad, and Corbula fossata Meyer and Aldrich. 

A higher horizon is represented especially well along Savannah River between 
Shell Bluff upstream and Griffins Landing downstream. Along this stretch of the 
river a prominent ledge, largely composed of Ostrea georgiana Conrad, forms the top 
of the McBean formation. Although this formation could be subdivided along 
Savannah River it was found impracticable to extend the subdivision westward, for 
which reason the Ostrea georgiana bed is considered as constituting its upper portion. 

Between Ocmulgee and Chattahoochee rivers exposures of strata 
belonging to the Claiborne group have been examined 4| miles south 
of Perry, Houston County; along Flint River at several localities, 
notably at the old Danville Ferry and at Penny Bluff; and along 
Chattahoochee River for a considerable distance below Fort Gaines. 
Fair collections of fossils, obtained from a number of exposures, 
render it safe to state that the McBean formation extends uninter- 
ruptedly from the Savannah to the Chattahooche. However, the 
formation is masked at many places by later deposits ranging in age 
from Jackson and Vicksburg to perhaps Pleistocene. The red, 
rather coarse sands that underlie the Vicksburg and overlie the 
recognizable McBean may be the westward continuation of the Barn- 
well sand, but as no fossils have been obtained from the sands be- 
tween Ocmulgee and Chattahoochee rivers positive correlation with 
the Barnwell sand of the Savannah drainage can not be made. 

Physiographic expression. — Over practically the whole area of its 
occurrence east of Ocmulgee River the McBean formation is overlain 
by the Barnwell sand, appearing at the surface only in the stream 
bluffs and on the lower slopes and in the bottoms of the valleys. On 
account of the compactness of the materials composing it the for- 



GEOLOGY. 77 

mation has been effective in places in preventing the rapid reduction 
of the valley sides from steep to gentle slopes, but otherwise it has had 
only a subordinate part in determining the topographic aspect of the 
region. 

Structure. — The McBean formation as a whole has a low dip east of 
south, perhaps not more than 10 or 15 feet to the mile. The dip of 
individual beds is so slight that they appear horizontal in natural 
exposures. No pronounced folding or faulting has been observed. 
Langdon 1 noted low flexures along Chattahoochee Kiver; but only 
purely local disturbances, such as might be due to land slips or weather- 
ing and solution of calcareous strata, were noted in the Ocmulgee- 
Savannah area. The thick beds of clay and fuller's earth show 
minute jointing. Clay laminae show slight crumpling at a few locali- 
ties, but this is of doubtful regional significance. An exposure of 
the McBean formation occurs 4 J miles south of Perry, Houston 
County, at an elevation higher than Jackson outcrops lying to the 
north. The structural relations are unexplained, but are probably 
due to folding or faulting. 

Congaree clay member. — The Congaree clay member consists princi- 
pally of fuller's earth and drab or greenish sandy clays. Its name is 
adopted from South Carolina, where Sloan 2 states its distribution as 
follows : 

The Congaree phase is abundantly exhibited in the western Tertiary division along 
a curved line extending by Aiken, Sandy Run (on the Congaree), Wedgefield, and 
thence down the eastern side of Santee River; it is also characteristically exhibited 
along the belt extending from Wedgefield toward the eastern division north of the 
Carolinian ridge. East of the latter the Congaree phase is probably exhibited in thin 
shales interlaminated with sands along the western bluffs of Peedee River. 

The Congaree phase exhibits its littoral line along Hollow Creek near Savannah 
River and proceeds with occasional tongues extended in conformity with the shore 
line indicated for the Tertiary. The main line proceeds from McBean Creek valley, 
Ga., by Beech Island, Aiken, Perry, Horseys Bridge, and Gaston, to the vicinity of 
Congaree Bluff. 

The Congaree clay member of the McBean formation in Georgia 
lies at the base of the Claiborne group, resting directly upon the Lower 
Cretaceous, from which it is separated by a conspicuous erosion 
unconformity of regional extent. Striking differences in lithologic 
character and the character of the fossils in the Congaree clay afford 
an easy means of distinguishing it from the underlying beds. 

Faunally, the Congaree clay member does not seem to differ from 
the lower faunal horizon of the marl of the McBean formation. It 
seems probable that the clays represent a shoreward phase, or that 
the Congaree clay member becomes more calcareous southward and 
gradually merges into the marl. In most of the sections studied the 

1 Langdon, D. W., Report on the Coastal Plain: Alabama Geol. Survey, p. 389, 1894. 

2 Catalogue of mineral localities of South Carolina: South Carolina Geol. Survey, pp. 454, 455, 1908. 



78 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

clay and fuller's earth seem to pass by gradation upward into the 
Barnwell sand. Some unconformities and some abrupt changes in 
the character of the strata may be only such as are natural in shallow- 
water deposits. 

The fuller's earth contained in the Congaree clay member is drab 
or gray (often olive-green when moist), fine grained, thinly bedded, 
and minutely jointed. (See PI. XI, A.) Where pure it is soft, 
unctuous, and breaks with a smooth conchoidal fracture, but it is 
generally sandy and contains small sand lenses and pockets and 
thin micaceous sand partings. It is low in specific gravity and 
peculiar in physical properties, being highly porous, adhering strongly 
to the tongue, and, in thin pieces, being light enough to float on 
water. 

At a few places the Congaree clay member contains a large amount 
of disseminated lignitic matter and thin beds of lignite, as at the 
lignite pit 3 miles south of Grovetown. Thin-bedded, shalelike, 
aluminous sandstones and dense vitreous quartzites were observed 
near the base of the member at Hephzibah, Wrens, Gibson, Chalker, 
and other localities. At a number of localities greenish or drab, 
stiff or tough clays, showing little or no lamination and attaining a 
thickness of 80 or 100 feet, lie in contact with the Lower Cretaceous. 
In places the materials consist of alternating layers, a few inches 
thick, of clay and varicolored sand. 

The member reaches a thickness of at least 100 feet. Fossils are 
abundant at a few places, though on the whole the member is not as 
fossiliferous as the typical marls of the formation. The animal 
remains are mainly molluscan casts, although the clay also contains 
thin marly layers in which shells occur in quantity, and in which 
fish teeth and fragments of bones are found. Plant localities have 
been discovered at Grovetown, Hephzibah in Richmond County, 
and 10 miles south of Macon in Bibb County. This member is not 
paleontologically distinct from the McBean formation. 

The Congaree clay member outcrops in numerous places from 
Grovetown southwestward along the fall line to Bibb and Twiggs 
counties. It is confined to the northern part of the area of outcrop 
of the McBean formation, but it can not be sharply separated from 
either the marls of the McBean formation to the south or from the 
overlying Barnwell sand. The most prominent and typical exposures 
are at Grovetown, Harlem, Gibson, Gordon, Roberts, and Pikes Peak 
in Twiggs County. The clays have had no marked influence on the 
soil and vegetation, outcropping mainly in gullies and ravines where 
the overlying red sands have been eroded. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XI 




A. CUT ON MACON, DUBLIN Sc SAVANNAH RAILROAD AT PIKES PEAK STATION, TWIGGS COUNTY, 
SHOWING THE CONGAREE CLAY MEMBER OF THE McBEAN FORMATION, 




AND LIMESTONE OF THE VICKSBURG FORMATION JUST ABOVE DEWITT FERRY, 
FLINT RIVER, MITCHELL COUNTY. 



GEOLOGY. 



BARNWELL SAND. 



79 



Areal distribution. — The Barnwell sand of the Claiborne group is 
practically coincident in its distribution with that of the Claiborne 
group as a whole. The formation overlies both the marls and the 
clays of the McBean formation and extends to the fall line, being 
present over parts of Columbia, Richmond, Burke, McDuffie, Jeffer- 
son, Glascock, Washington, Hancock, Wilkinson, Baldwin, Twiggs, 
Jones, and Bibb counties. No evidence was found indicating that 
the fossiliferous red sands in the southern part of the area are later 
in age than, or are superimposed upon, the sands which near the fall 
line overlie the Congaree clay member. It is probable that red sands 
overlying the McBean formation between Flint and Chattahoochee 
rivers belong to this formation, but no positive statement to this 
effect can yet be made. The conspicuous red soils of the Claiborne 
group are derived from the Barnwell sand. 

The formation is particularly well developed in Burke County, 
where it contains fossiliferous flint and appears at the surface as a 
dark-red ferruginous sand. It is also well developed over other 
counties to the west. 

StratigrapMc position. — -The Barnwell sand directly overlies the 
McBean formation and is in contact with both the marls and the 
Congaree clay member of the latter formation. The nature of the 
contact separating the Barnwell sand from the McBean formation 
has not been satisfactorily determined; there is evidence, however, 
that along the northern margin of the Barnwell sand area the relation 
is that of unconformity, though of local, not of regional, extent. 
Farther southward the Barnwell sand seems to overlie the McBean 
formation conformably. The probable explanation of this discord- 
ance of relationship in different parts of the area is that after the 
deposition of the clays and marls of the McBean formation an uplift 
of the region caused the shore line of the Claiborne sea to recede 
southward a short distance and permitted erosion in the emerged 
area. Later, after a relatively short period, resubmergence per- 
mitted deposition to be resumed over the entire Claiborne area. 

The Barnwell sand is overlain by the Jackson formation, but the 
contact between the two has nowhere been observed and its nature 
is imperfectly known. There is some evidence in favor of a faunal 
and lithologic gradation and, on the other hand, some suggestion of 
unconformity. 

In Burke and Screven counties the formation is overlapped by the 
Vicksburg formation and questionably by the Chattahoochee forma- 
tion and the t^ x .Jl Alum Bluff. In the eastern part of the State 
a large part of it was probably originally overlain by still later undif- 
ferentiated deposits, two prominent occurrences of which still extend 
northward to Tennille and Waynesboro. The Barnwell sand is in 



80 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

places covered with a small thickness of surficial gray sand of prob- 
lematic origin and by Pleistocene terrace deposits along the rivers. 

Lithologic character. — The Barnwell sand consists largely of uncon- 
solidated red and varicolored sands, embedded hi which are also thin 
layers of sandstone, quartzite, silicified limestone or flint, and thin 
layers of siliceous limonite. The sands, especially where weathered, 
appear somewhat similar to the red, residual sands of the Vicksburg 
formation, with which they seem to be in contact in the southeastern 
part of Burke County, and from which, where fossils are absent, they 
can with difficulty be discriminated. 

The flint and quartzite contain casts and siliceous replacements of 
fossils, and good collections have been obtained at several localities. 
The sand itself is poorly fossiliferous, containing only imperfect casts 
and molds of fossils and fragments of silicified wood. 

Thickness. — The maximum measured thickness of the Barnwell 
sand is 105 feet, this thickness being observed on Storm Branch 
below Cox Spring, about 2 miles northeast of Shell Bluff post office. 

Paleontologic character. — Among the common fossils of the Barn- 
well sand are Mortonia, Mesalia vetusta (Conrad), Turritella carinata 
Lea, Glycymeris staminea (Conrad), Crassatellites protextus var. lepi- 
dus Dall, Venericardia alticostata (Conrad), Cytherea perovata Conrad, 
and Spisula prsetenuis (Conrad). The best collection of fossils from 
a single locality is that from Old Town, 1\ miles southeast of the 
present site of Louisville. 

Physiographic expression. — The Barnwell sand has been an im- 
portant factor in determining the topography. The greater part of 
its area is hilly and broken, for the friable sands and soft clays of the 
formation have yielded readily to erosion. In Twiggs, Wilkinson, 
and Washington counties valleys have been cut 150 to 200 feet below 
the level of the ridges and small plateaus, and at many places the 
hills are furrowed by deep gullies and ravines. In Burke and Jeffer- 
son counties there are flat plains in which lime sinks have resulted 
from the collapse of solution cavities in the underlying McBean 
formation. 

Structure. — The bedding planes of the Barnwell sand have been 
largely obscured by chemical changes. For this reason it has been 
impossible to obtain accurate dip observations. However, the beds 
dip east of south at a rate probably not exceeding 10 or 15 feet to 
the mile. 

JACKSON FORMATION. 

Areal distribution. — The total area over which the Jackson forma- 
tion outcrops in Georgia is, so far as known, small. The largest con- 
nected area is in Johnson, Wilkinson, Houston, Twiggs, Pulaski, 
Dooly, and Sumter counties. There is a small, isolated area at Rich 



GEOLOGY. 81 

Hill, Crawford County, and, according to Langdon, 1 a small area on 
Chattahoochee River near Alaga, Ala. The strata exposed on Oconee 
River at Wring Jaw Landing, Johnson County, are referred to the 
Jackson formation by T. W. Vaughan. Further detailed work may 
reveal occurrences east of the Oconee. Between Flint and Chatta- 
hoochee rivers outcrops have been found only on Ichawaynochaway 
Creek, 1| miles below Cordray mill, Calhoun County; if the formation 
outcrops elsewhere to any considerable extent it has not been dis- 
tinguished from the strata of the Vicksburg formation and the Clai- 
borne group. The Jackson formation has been recognized at Amer- 
icus, Sumter County, where fossils obtained in a well boring seem to 
show that it extends from the surface to a depth of 157 feet. (See 
section, pp. 394-395.) 

South and southeast of the areas of outcrop limestones, which prob- 
ably include in ascending order the Jackson, Vicksburg, and Chatta- 
hoochee formations, have been more or less completely penetrated 
in numerous well borings. On the McArthur plantation in Mont- 
gomery County (p. 346), for instance, the limestones were penetrated 
from 350 to 890 feet, and at Bainbridge, Decatur County, to a 
depth of 825 feet (p. 220) . At Doctortown, Wayne County, limestones 
with interbedded layers of sand were penetrated from 465 to 1,470 
feet, but this thickness (1,005 feet) perhaps includes limestone beds 
referable to the Claiborne group, which underlies the Jackson forma- 
tion. Similar limestones with interbedded layers of sand were 
penetrated at Savannah in the wells at the municipal water-supply 
plant from 250 to 500 feet. 

StratigrapMc position. — The Jackson formation is the uppermost 
terrane of the Eocene of Georgia; stratigraphically it lies between the 
Claiborne group below and the Vicksburg formation above. The line 
of division between it and the Claiborne group has not been accu- 
rately determined, and it can not be stated with certainty whether or 
not deposition continued uninterruptedly from the one to the other, 
for the two formations are similar lithologically. According to the 
evidence of the fossils, beds referable to the Jackson formation occur 
near the mines of the Georgia Kaolin Co. in Twiggs County — an 
occurrence explainable only by faulting or folding or by an overlap 
and erosion unconformity. Paleontologic evidence also indicates 
that an unconformity may exist between the two formations south 
of Perry in Houston County, though none has thus far been observed 
in surface outcrops. 

In Mississippi the Claiborne and Jackson seem to be closely related. 
Crider 2 states that "even where the formations have been best 

1 Report on the Coastal Plain of Alabama: Alabama Geol. Survey, p. 383, 1894. 

2 Crider, A. F., Geology and mineral resources of Mississippi: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 283, pp. 33, 34, 1906. 

38418°— wsp 341—15 6 



82 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

studied there seems to be a gradation in both the fossils and the 
stratigraphy from the upper Claiborne to the lower Jackson." In 
Alabama the Jackson has not been described as a separate formation, 
and very little specific information as to its relations with the Clai- 
borne has been published. From the description in Langdon's 
report * on the geology of the Coastal Plain of Alabama it is evident 
that the two are closely related lithologically and faunally, and in 
sections where both are exposed no mention is made of unconformable 
relations. 

Where the Jackson and the Vicksburg formations have been ob- 
served in the same section in Georgia there is no evidence of an 
unconformity or break in the vertical continuity of the strata. 

The Jackson formation at Rich Hill, 5 miles southeast of Roberta, 
Crawford County, rests directly upon Lower Cretaceous strata, and 
the presence of marine deposits at this locality indicates that the 
formation originally extended as an overlap much farther northward 
than at present and suggests that it may have even transgressed upon 
the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau. 

Liiliologic character and thickness. — The formation consists of white 
or cream-colored, massive-bedded limestones, thin beds of marl, and 
calcareous, glauconitic, and sandy laminated clays. The limestones 
are highly fossilif erous, in places consisting almost entirely of a friable 
mass of Bryozoa and shells. Southward from Perry there is a consid- 
erable thickness of loose red and yellow quartz sand and clay, the 
stratigraphic position of which has not yet been fixed, but which 
may belong hi part to the Jackson formation. Silicification of the 
limestone was noted half a mile north of Bonaire and also south of 
Perry, Houston County. 

The thickness of the Jackson formation in the area of outcrop can 
not be determined with accuracy, mainly on account of uncertainty 
as to the location of the line of division between it and the Claiborne 
group. About 75 feet of it is exposed at Rich Hill, and about the 
same amount south of Perry, not including the sands underlying the 
fossiliferous strata. At Americus, Sumter County, the thickness as 
shown by a well record is 157 feet. The buried representatives of the 
formation in south-central Georgia probably exceed 100 feet in thick- 
ness. 

Paleontologic character. — The limestones of the formation are 
highly fossiliferous, but the clays and sands are only sparingly so. As 
in Mississippi and Louisiana, the formation seems to mark the upper 
limit of Venericardia planicosta. In places Bryozoa make up the 
greater part of the rock, this being especially true of the occurrences 
at Rich Hill, Crawford County, at Ross Hill, 3 J miles south of Perry, 
and at other localities. Of the 24 species which have been deter- 

i Op. cit., pp. Ill, 12S, 3S1, 383. 



GEOLOGY. 83 

mined from the Jackson formation in Georgia, only 6 are common 
to the overlying Vicksburg formation. The whalelike mammal, 
Zeuglodon (Basilosauras), is a characteristic fossil of the Jackson, and 
some fragments of it have been found in Georgia. As in the Vicksburg 
formation, Pecten and Orbitoides are abundant; Pecten perplanus, 
Pecten nuperus, and Orbitoides mantelli appear in both formations. 

Physiographic expression. — The limestone member of the forma- 
tion has produced a prominent scarp on the south side of Indian and 
Mill creeks in Houston County. Rich Hill, in Crawford County, is a 
conspicuous topographic feature, owing to the fact that the lime- 
stones and clays of the formation resisted erosion better than the 
Cretaceous sands and clays. A few lime sinks occur north of Bonaire. 

Structure. — The formation dips gently southeastward. Visual evi- 
dence of folding was not noted in field work, but either a fold or fault 
in the strata or an erosion unconformity between the Jackson for- 
mation and the Claiborne group must be assumed to explain the posi- 
tion of the McBean formation at a level stratigraphically higher than 
the Jackson 4J miles south of Perry. 

OLIGOCENE SERIES. 
VICKSBTJB.G FORMATION. 

Areal distribution. — The Vicksburg formation outcrops over a large 
area in the western part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia, including 
parts or all of the counties of Sumter, Lee, Terrell, Webster, Ran- 
dolph, Clay, Early, Calhoun, Dougherty, Baker, Mitchell, Miller, and 
Decatur. Areas of outcrop also occur in Crisp, Dooly, Houston, 
Pulaski, Twiggs, and Laurens counties. Eastward from Oconee 
River the formation has been largely concealed by later formations, 
and only small areas of it are known in Screven and Burke counties. 
With the exception of the undifferentiated and the Pleistocene sur- 
ficial deposits, the area over which the Vicksburg is the surface forma- 
tion is greater than that of any other formation of the Coastal Plain. 

The formation has been recognized in well borings, on paleonto- 
logic evidence, southeast and south of the areas of outcrop at Clax- 
ton, Tattnall County, between the depths 365 and 550 feet (see log, 
p. 404) ; at Waycross, Ware County, between the depths 415 and 691 
feet (see log, pp. 438-439) ; at Kingsland, Camden County, between 
the depths 450 and 482 feet (see p. 178); and at Valdosta, Lowndes 
County, between the depths 400 and 480 feet (see log, pp. 318-319). 

Stratigraphic position. — The Vicksburg formation, which is classi- 
fied as Oligocene, occupies a stratigraphic position between the 
Jackson formation (Eocene) below and the Chattahoochee formation 
above. Contacts with the Jackson formation were seen in Houston 
and Pulaski counties, where there seems to be no physical break 
between the two divisions. 



84 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

West of Flint River the Vicksburg overlaps northward to the belts 
of outcrop cf the Midway and Wilcox formations and has largely 
obscured the Claiborne group and the Jackson formation. Uncon- 
formable contacts with the Claiborne group, the Jackson apparently 
missing, were noted near Fort Gaines, Cuthbert, Shellman, and Ander- 
sonville. ' 

Unconformable contacts between the Vicksburg formation and the 
overlying Chattahoochee formation have been observed in the vicin- 
ity of Bainbridge, Decatur County, by Pumpelly 1 and Vaughan. 2 
(See Chattahoochee formation, pp. 86-89.) Northward from Deca- 
tur County, in the escarpment on the east side of Flint River, the 
upper part of the formation has been so much obscured by weather- 
ing that its relations to the overlying Chattahoochee formation can 
not be observed. Eastward in Dooly, Pulaski, Laurens, Burke, and 
Screven counties, and in other counties along the northern margin of 
the formation, the Vicksburg formation is overlapped and partly 
obscured by the Alum Bluff formation and by later deposits, so that 
here also its relation to the Chattahoochee formation can not be 
observed. 

Lithologic character. — The formation is made up principally of 
limestones but also contains beds of sand and clay. The limestones 
have been extensively silicified and in many places do not appear 
at the surface, but are concealed by varicolored, very coarse grained, 
sandy clays, probably residual, in which residual flint fragments are 
embedded. 

The limestones are generally white or cream-colored, soft, earthy, 
and very abundantly fossiliferous. In places flat, disklike Orbitoides, 
Bryozoa, and Pectens and their fragments form nearly the whole of 
the rock. Along Flint River the rock has a characteristic vesicular 
or pitted appearance due to solution, and its bluffs are marked by 
cavelike recesses which give it a rough, jagged appearance. (See PL 
XI, B, p. 78.) Bedding and joint planes are almost entirely absent. 
At a few localities the limestones are hard, white, and crystalline, 
and are sufficiently pure for use in the manufacture of lime. The 
softer rocks contain various percentages of silica and clay; the silica 
is generally not in the form of quartz grains but has been introduced 
in solution in circulating waters, replacing the limestone. 

The limestones have been extensively silicified and the formation 
in many places consists of flint fragments and large siliceous bowlders 
in residual sands and clay; at no place, however, does the flint appear 
in continuous, solid, or undisturbed beds. 

The flint is either porous and tripoli-like, or brittle, compact, and 
translucent, having been converted into jasper and chalcedony. 

i Am. Jour. Sci., 3d ser., vol. 46, pp. 445-447, 1893. 
2 Science, new ser., vol. 12, pp. 873-S75, 1900. 



GEOLOGY. 85 

The white porous flint is prominent wherever the Vicksburg is the 
underlying formation. The white or cream color is due to the 
porous condition of the rock, the silica of which, when examined 
under the microscope, is seen to be in translucent grains, probably 
chalcedony. These flint rocks are in many places as fossiliferous as 
the limestones and are evidently replacements of the soft, porous lime- 
stones of the Vicksburg formation. The alteration in most places has 
been complete, the rock rarely showing effervescence with acids. 

Some of the flint is dense, compact, vitreous or brittle, and either 
translucent or red, yellow, or brown. This variety shows fewer traces 
of fossils than the porous flint, but it is probably a replacement of the 
limestones, though jasper in the form of nodules in the limestones, 
apparently produced by the segregation of silica and not by replace- 
ment, has been observed at Albany. 

Large bowlders of flint, picturesquely heaped, appear along Flint 
River from Albany to Bainbridge. The bowlders are characteris- 
tically vesicular and contain spherical cavities an inch or more in 
diameter, which appear to have been originally occupied by echinoids 
and which often contain a spongy, skeleton-like kernel of silica in 
place of the calcareous test. 

The Vicksburg formation is deeply weathered, the weathered prod- 
uct appealing at the surface as deep-red argillaceous sands, containing 
scattered flint fragments and black and brown iron oxide accretions 
about the size of buckshot. In old railway and road cuts where the 
sands have been exposed for a long time they have become slightly 
cemented by iron oxide and crack into polygonal figures. At a num- 
ber of places the residual clays and sands present a mottled appear- 
ance not unlike that of the late Oligocene beds. The freshly exposed 
residue of decomposition and solution is a highly siliceous bluish or 
gray tenacious clay. 

Beds of sand which probably belong to the Vicksburg formation 
have been reported in a number of wells. In a cut on the Central of 
Georgia Railway half a mile east of Dawson two beds of varicolored 
sand, which do not appear to be residual, are associated with residual 
flint and clay. 

Thickness. — The thickness of the formation can not be determined 
from natural exposures. A well boring at Lela, Decatur County (see 
log, p. 222), penetrated 400 feet of Vicksburg strata. Along the 
northern margin of the outcrop in Clay, Randolph, Webster, and 
Sumter counties the thickness is less than 100 feet. Spencer 1 esti- 
mated the thickness at Bainbridge to be 500 feet, but he probably 
included strata that should have been referred to older Eocene forma- 
tions. The formation also appears in Burke and Screven counties, 

'Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 55, 1890-91. 



86 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OE GEORGIA. 

where the thickness probably does not exceed that in the western part 
of the State. 

Paleontologic character. — The formation is highly fossiliferous, the 
most abundant forms being Foraminifera and Bryozoa. The flat, 
disklike foraminifer, Orbitoides, which varies from a quarter of an 
inch, to 2 inches in diameter, is so common that the formation was 
formerly called the Orbitoidal limestone. The fauna of the Vicks- 
burg formation possesses certain distinctive characteristics, although 
some of the common Vicksburg forms, such as Orbitoides and Pecten 
perplanus are also found in the underlying Jackson formation. 
Amusium ocalanum is a characteristic fossil. Venericardia planicosta, 
which ranges up into the underlying Jackson formation, has not been 
found in the Vicksburg formation. Common Vicksburg fossils are 
Orbitoides mantelli, 0. papyracea, Nummulites wilcoxi, Glycymeris arc- 
tatus, Pecten poulsoni, P. perplanus, Amusium ocalanum, and Cytherea 
sobrina. 

Physiographic expression. — The formation has exerted a notable 
effect on the topography. In general, surface areas underlain by 
it are more nearly level than those of the other older formations of 
the Coastal Plain. Underground solution has been extensive and the 
plains are dotted with lime sinks and with ponds which range from 
shallow circular depressions not more than 50 feet across to lakes 
occupying several hundred acres. The region is also characterized 
by a scarcity of small surface streams, much of the drainage being 
underground by way of the sinks. 

Structure. — The beds are almost horizontal but dip slightly south- 
eastward at probably not more than 8 feet to the mile — less than the 
dip of the miderlying strata — as estimated from the supposed base 
of the formation at Americus and Cuthbert and the supposed base at 
Albany as determined from the record of an artesian well. No flex- 
ures or faulting have been observed, though some may be revealed by 
detailed geologic work, for it is certain that the Coastal Plain has 
undergone oscillations subsequent to the deposition of the Vicksburg 
formation. 

APALACHICOLA GE.OTTP. 

The Apalachicola group in Georgia includes the Chattahoochee and 
Alum Bluff formations. 

CHATTAHOOCHEE FORMATION. 

Areal distribution.— -The Chattahoochee formation appears at the 
surface in relatively small areas, being largely concealed by the 
overlying Alum Bluff and later formations. Good exposures occur 
along Flint River and in lime sinks near Recovery in Decatur County; 
and strata belonging to the formation were noted by Langdon 1 on 

» Am. Jour. Sci., 3d ser., vol. 3S, p. 324, 1S89. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XII 




A. LIMESTONE OF THE CHATTAHOOCHEE FORMATION ON THE LEFT BANK OF WITHLACOOCHEE 
RIVER AT NEW BRIDGE (OR HORN BRIDGE) 3 MILES BELOW THE CROSSING OF THE VALDOSTA 
SOUTHERN RAILWAY, LOWNDES COUNTY. 




_B. ALUM BLUFF FORMATION ABOVE GRADYS (GRAYS?) LANDING, ALTAMAHA RIVER, TOOMBS 

COUNTY. 
The materials are sands, clays, and sandy fuller's earth. 



GEOLOGY. 87 

Chattahoochee River, 9 miles above River Junction, Fla. The 
formation appears at Forest Falls and other lime sinks in the northern 
part of Grady County, in the vicinity of Metcalf and Thomas ville, 
Thomas County, and in the beds and bluffs of Withlacoochee and 
Alapaha rivers near the Georgia-Florida line. (See PL XII, A.) 
On Ocmulgee River near Abbeville and near Hawkinsville the forma- 
tion is believed to be represented by fragmentary beds and by residual 
flint masses containing corals. Limestone, which outcrops near 
Jacksonboro on Briar Creek in Screven County, has been correlated 
by Vaughan with the Chattahoochee formation. Limestone, which 
outcrops in a small area northwest of Millen, Jenkins County, is 
provisionally considered as a part of the same formation; but the 
evidence for this classification is admittedly very meager. Limestone 
of the Chattahoochee formation has been discovered near Cordele, 
Crisp County, and limestone probably belonging to it outcrops 7 
miles northwest of Sylvester. Strata of this formation are believed 
to outcrop in the escarpment east of Flint River from Crisp County 
to Decatur County but are largely obscured by weathering. 

Buried representatives of the formation are believed to underlie 
nearly all the Coastal Plain of Georgia southeast and south of the 
areas of outcrop. The formation has been recognized on paleontologic 
evidence in a well boring at Tarboro, Camden County, between the 
depths 375 and 400 feet. (See p. 178.) 

Stratigraphic position. — Pumpelly * and Vaughan 2 have recognized 
an erosion unconformity between the Chattahoochee and the under- 
lying limestone of the Vicksburg formation in Decatur County. At 
Blue Springs, on Flint River 4 miles south of Bainbridge, both forma- 
tions are present, but the contact between the two is much obscured 
by the weathering of both the Vicksburg and the Chattahoochee. 

At Red Bluff, 7 miles north of Bainbridge, a contact similar to that 
at Blue Springs is exposed. The Chattahoochee formation appears 
as fragments of flint in residual sandy clay, and the weathered lime- 
stone of the Vicksburg formation appears at the base of the bluff. 
There is evidence of an erosion unconformity at this locality, and also 
at the bluff back of the old factory about 2 miles above Bainbridge. 
However, at Forest Falls, 8 miles northwest of Whigham, no uncon- 
formities were observed in a section the base of which, according to 
paleontologic evidence, is referable to the Vicksburg formation, and 
successively higher portions of which, on similar evidence, belong to 
the Chattahoochee and Alum Bluff formations. 

Sedimentation was probably continuous from the beginning of 
Chattahoochee time to the end of Alum Bluff time, for no evidence of 
an erosion interval separating the two formations has been observed 

i Am. Jour. Sci., 3d ser., vol. 46, pp. 445-447, 1893. 
2 Science, new ser., vol. 12, pp. 873-875, 1900. 



88 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

in the field. McCallie, 1 however, has noted an unconformity at the 
old Toy phosphate pit, 3£ miles west of Boston; but whether this is 
due to erosion or to solution and irregular weathering of the limestone 
has not been determined. When this locality was visited by the 
authors the relations of the clay to the limestone had become obscured 
by the debris filling the pits. 

Liihologic diameter. — The Chattahoochee formation is in general 
calcareous and varies from compact, pure, crystalline limestones to 
earthy argillaceous limestones and calcareous sands and sandstones. 
Compact, gray, drab, or white fossiliferous limestones make up the 
bulk of the formation. A brecciated or conglomeratic structure is 
characteristic of some of the beds, the phenomenon being observed 
at nearly all localities where there are good exposures. These con- 
glomerate beds do not seem to be confined to a particular horizon, and 
their origin and significance are not well understood. Both the 
matrix and the angular or rounded fragments are limestone. Some 
beds appear to be pseudoconglomerates, and consist of a limestone 
matrix containing fossil echinoids whose structure has been partly 
obliterated, giving them the appearance of water-worn fragments. 
The rock is phosphatic at a number of places, containing brown or 
black rounded pebbles of phosphate or fragments of bones and teeth. 
The limestones at the base of the formation have been replaced by 
silica at several localities and at others are represented by frag- 
mental beds of flint containing corals and other fossils in a matrix 
of residual clay. The flint closely resembles that of the underlying 
Vicksburg formation and can not everywhere be easily distinguished 
from it. 

Thickness. — In the gorge northwest of Faceville, Decatur County, 
the Chattahoochee formation has a probable total thickness of 100 
feet. At Forest Falls, or Limesink, in the northern part of Grady 
County, it has an exposed thickness of 60 or 65 feet. No very reliable 
data are at hand for estimating its total thickness to the east and 
northeast, under cover of later formations ; but its maximum probably 
does not exceed 250 feet. 

Pdleontologic character. — Though no abrupt faunal break occurs 
between the Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations and though 
some fossils are common to both, the two formations show marked 
differences. The base of the Chattahoochee contains a rich coral 
fauna which, in the vicinity of Bainbridge, has been studied by 
T. W. Vaughan. 2 He estimated that in a coral reef 4 miles south 
of Bainbridge there were between 25 and 30 species of corals, and he 
correlated the beds with the Oligocene of Antigua. The character- 
istic Vicksburg species Amusium ocalanum does not appear, and, 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 5-A, p. 62, 1S96. 
2 Science, new ser., vol. 12, pp. 873-875, 1900. 



GEOLOGY. 89 

though the genus Orbitoides is common to both the Vicksburg and 
Chattahoochee formations, most of the Chattahoochee species are 
different from those of the Vicksburg. Orbitolites complanata occurs 
in the Chattahoochee formation, but has not been found in the 
Vicksburg. Orthaulax pugnax, a gastropod common in the Tampa 
formation of Florida, has been found at two localities. 

Physiographic expression. — In portions of Decatur, Grady, Thomas, 
Brooks, and Lowndes counties, where the Chattahoochee formation 
lies near the surface, the topography is a little more hilly and rugged 
than hi other parts of southern Georgia. Lime sinks, lakes, and 
ponds due to the underground solution and consequent caving in 
of the limestones of the formation are notable features of the topog- 
raphy. 

Structure. — The formation is tilted slightly southward and south- 
eastward. The dip is low, probably not over 8 feet to the mile. 
The top of the formation is estimated to be about 225 feet above 
sea level at Forest Falls or Limesink, and about 200 feet above 
sea level near Faceville, approximately 24 miles to the southwest. 
At Red Bluff, 7 miles north of Bainbridge on Flint River, where 
Vaughan has determined paleontologically the presence of the 
Chattahoochee, its base can hardly be more than 20 feet above the 
river, and at Blue Spring, 4 miles below Bainbridge, is about 10 
feet above the river. This indicates a very low dip. 

Local dislocations of beds, due to underground solution and 
consequent sinking, have been observed in Thomas and Decatur 
counties. 

ALUM BLUFF FORMATION. 

Areal distribution. — The Alum Bluff formation outcrops in southern 
and south-central Georgia throughout a large area extending from 
Decatur County northeastward to Savannah River. The limit of 
the deposits of the Alum Bluff as they exist to-day is approximately 
marked on the north by Waynesboro, Tennille, and Vienna; on the 
west by the west-facing escarpment which separates the Altamaha 
upland from the Flint River valley; and on the east by a line extend- 
ing from Savannah River near the mouth of Buck Creek through 
Sylvania, Reidsville, and Blackshear to the western edge of Oke- 
fenokee Swamp. 

The formation includes typical marine invertebrate-bearing gravels 
sands, clays, and marls and irregularly bedded nonfossiliferous 
sands, gravels, and clays. All the deposits are of shallow-water 
origin. The upper part of the formation is usually coarser grained 
than the lower. Pebbles occur in its upper part just below the 
Miocene contact at Porters Landing on Savannah River, where it 
contains abundant marine fossils. 



90 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The first comprehensive description of the physiographic aspect 
and lithologic character of the formation as exposed in Georgia was 
published by R. H. Loughridge, 1 who correlated it with the "Grand 
Gulf sandstones" of the Gulf States. His description is as follows: 

Included between the Savannah River and the Atlantic and Gulf water divide 
there seems to have been once formed a large shallow basin, which is now filled with 
a sandstone composed for the most part of coarse angular grit and clay, partly cemented 
with silica and resembling in character the Grand Gulf sandstone of the Gulf States. 
The area is marked on the map by the deep-green color of the pine barrens region, 
whose soils overlie the formation. The rocks have a slight dip to the southeast and 
have been traced by Capt. M. T. Singleton (now of the United States Engineer Corps, 
engaged in river improvement) for 60 miles along Oconee River, and he estimates the 
thickness to be 200 feet. Outcrops have been observed in Irwin, Dodge, Ware, and 
other counties. Paramore's hill, in the western part of Screven County, is of this 
sandstone, which here has a thickness of 50 feet or more. Its grains of quartz are 
partly clear and translucent and partly white and opaque and the rock is highly 
aluminous. 

The southern limit of the sandstone is apparently at the edge of the second terrace, 
near the coast and along Satilla River north of Okefenokee Swamp, but the formation 
(represented by blue clays underlying the sandy lands) extends probably still south- 
ward, including in its area the country near the Florida line between Alapaha River 
east to the ridge on the eastern side of the swamp — a part of the main Atlantic and 
Gulf water divide of the State. 

The name "Altamaha grit" was proposed for the same deposits 
in 1892 by Dall, 2 who regarded the typical beds along the Altamaha 
River as contemporaneous in a general way with the older Miocene, 
which was later classified by the same author and others as upper 
Oligocene. He says, regarding the deposits: 

Though the contact with the oyster-bearing Hawthorne beds of House Creek was 
not observed by Mr. Burns, there can be little doubt that the latter are overlain by 
the grit where they join, and that the grits which contain no fossils except a little 
silicified wood are consequently of Miocene age. Seaward from them marine Mio- 
cene beds of the Chesapeake series were doubtless laid down, since Conrad records 
the washing up on St. Simons Island of a specimen of Ecphora. 

He also states : 

* * * The last bluff of the grit is only a few rods above the bridge across the 
Altamaha River at Doctortown, the piers of the bridge resting upon a newer forma- 
tion. [This bed is Chesapeake Miocene.] 

"The oyster-bearing Hawthorne beds of House Creek" also belong 
to the Alum Bluff formation and are not stratigraphically separable 
from the Altamaha grit of Dall. 

Harper 3 in 1906 and Veatch 4 in 1908 correlated the same depos- 
its with the Pliocene. Harper reiterated the correlation of the 
Altamaha with the "Grand Gulf" of the Gulf States. Veatch and 

1 Loughridge, R. H., Cotton production of the State of Georgia: Tenth Census, vol. 6, Georgia, pp. 15, 
16 (281, 2S2 at bottom of page), 1884. 

2 Dall, W. H., U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 84, p. 82, 1892. 

3 Harper, R. M., New York Acad. Sci. Annals, vol. 17, pt. 1, p. 18, 1906. 
1 Veatch, Otto, Science, new ser., vol. 27, pp. 71-74, 190S. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XIV 




A. QUARTZITE OF THE ALUM BLUFF FORMATION IN THE FIRST CUT OF THE SOUTHERN 
RAILWAY SOUTHEAST OF THE BRIDGE OVER OCMULGEE RIVER IN JEFF DAVIS COUNTY. 




B. LOWER SISTERS BLUFF, ALTAMAHA RIVER, APPLING COUNTY, SHOWING SANDS AND CLAYS 
OF THE ALUM BLUFF FORMATION. 



GEOLOGY. 91 

Stephenson 1 in 1911 questionably referred the formation to the Plio- 
cene, although they recognized that the term Altamaha formation, as 
used by them, and also as previously used by Harper and by Veatch, 
included strata ranging in age from Oligocene to Pleistocene. 

The investigations of recent years have led to the conclusion that 
the bulk of the deposits included by Harper, Veatch, and Stephenson 
in the Altamaha formation are of Oligocene age and are probably 
contemporaneous with a part of the Alum Bluff formation. 

Marine fossils are rare in most of the exposures of the Alum Bluff 
formation, but they have been found in Decatur, Grady, Thomas, 
Lowndes, Echols, Wilcox, and Effingham counties. Excellent expo- 
sures appear in the bluffs of Ocmulgee and Altamaha rivers from near 
Abbeville to Doctortown. (See PL XII, B, p. 86; PI. XIII, and PI. 
XIV, A and B.) 

Except along streams, along escarpments near streams, and near 
the Florida line, the entire area underlain by the Alum Bluff forma- 
tion is mapped as " Undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclu- 
sive." The inland boundary of the formation has" not been accu- 
rately ascertained, nor has the boundary between it and the Miocene 
been definitely traced; however, it is probable that the Alum Bluff 
is the immediately subsurficial or the surficial formation westward 
from a line passing through Rocky Ford and Waycross to somewhat 
beyond the inland margin of the Chattahoochee formation, as there is 
considerable evidence in favor of the latter formation being over- 
lapped by the former. There is discrepancy in the treatment of the 
area underlain by the Alum Bluff as compared with that of the areas 
underlain in the Coastal Plain by older Tertiary formations, for that 
underlain by it is represented as covered by undifferentiated deposits 
ranging in age from Oligocene to Pleistocene, whereas in the areas of 
the other formations account is not taken of Pleistocene deposits 
along stream valleys and of what are perhaps overwash deposits 
associated with stages in drainage development. Consistent treat- 
ment of the Alum Bluff formation would have led to omitting the 
color representing "undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene" over 
the area the surface of which it is indicated as underlying. This 
inconsistency is mostly to be attributed to the present incomplete 
knowledge of its inland and seaward boundaries. 

Stratigraphic position. — The Alum Bluff formation conformably 
overlies the Chattahoochee formation, and the exact boundary be- 
tween the two is in places drawn arbitrarily, for there is neither 
abrupt lithologic nor faunal change from the one to the other. There 
are in places apparent unconformities due to solution and weathering 
of the limestone of the Chattahoochee near the contact. On Savan- 
nah and Altamaha rivers the Alum Bluff formation is separated from 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 26, pp. 400-423, 1911. 



92 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

the overlying Miocene by an erosion unconformity, probably of minor 
importance. Throughout the greater part of the area underlain by 
the Alum Bluff formation its weathered products, in places perhaps 
overlain by more recent deposits, are believed to form the surface 
material; but in southeastern Georgia it is overlain by lithologically 
similar undifferentiated deposits, ranging in age from Miocene to 
Pleistocene. Owing to the lithologic similarity of the materials 
forming or overlying the surface of the Alum Bluff no attempt has 
been made to differentiate them on the map, their discrimination 
being left for future work. 

In narrow areas along all the larger streams the Alum Bluff for- 
mation is overlain by thin terrace deposits of Pleistocene age. 

Lithologic character. — The Alum Bluff formation appears in a num- 
ber of different lithologic phases, including subordinate beds of peb- 
bles, coarse angular sands, coarse-grained aluminous sandstones or 
grits, sandy clays, fuller's earths, phosphatic sands, quartzites, sand- 
stones, silicified clays, and limestones or calcareous layers and nod- 
ules of local extent. Greenish or gray argillaceous sands and sandy 
laminated clays form the greater part of the formation. 

Beds of fuller's earth occur in the formation both in Georgia and 
in Florida. The fuller's earth is generally a gray or drab, faintly 
laminated, claylike earth of low specific gravity. The earth is gen- 
erally rather hard and brittle and in many places has been so sili- 
cified that it is very hard and rocklike and has lost its characteristic 
properties. Segregations of silica in the form of small, round, or 
flattened nodules are characteristic. The fuller's earth beds do not 
attain great thickness and are not persistent over large areas, but 
appear to be local phases in sands and sandy clays. Greenish and 
drab sticky plastic clays and argillaceous sands are associated with 
the fuller's earth. 

Phosphatic sands on Alapaha and Suwannee rivers are believed to 
he directly above the Chattahoochee formation. Sands of the Alum 
Bluff formation on Savannah River are also slightly phosphatic. 
These sands are generally unconsolidated or only slightly indurated. 
In places they are coarse grained and even contain small pebbles, 
and in many places they are cross-bedded. They consist largely of 
quartz, the phosphate content being in the form of small brown or 
black slick nodules or water-worn pieces of bones and teeth, vary- 
ing in size from a pinhead to three-fourths of an inch in diameter. 
A little clay is generally present. The sands, in a number of places, 
are calcareous and contain calcareous phosphatic nodules. A chem- 
ical analysis by Edgar Everhart, former chemist of the Geological 
Survey of Georgia, of a sample of sand from Suwannee River 9 miles 
below Fargo showed 16.8 per cent of phosphoric acid (P 2 5 ). 



GEOLOGY. 93 

The clay and fuller's earth phases of the formation have in places 
been silicified to such an extent that they have been converted into 
very hard clay stones, and the argillaceous sands have become dense, 
vitreous, and brittle quartzites. The clay breccias and conglomer- 
ates have likewise been silicified. In fact, alteration of the rocks by 
silica carried in solution by circulating waters has taken place in some 
degree throughout the greater part of the formation. Opal and agate 
occur in places as a result of this sihcification. 

Samples of the silicified clays from Withlacoochee River, 7 miles 
east of Quitman, were examined in the laboratory. They vary from 
bluish to light-greenish and dove color, are hard, brittle, and break 
with a conchoidal fracture, and are dense and compact, with cracks 
filled with opaline silica. Some of these rocks are slightly phosphatic. 
Some phases, which might be termed " opalized clay conglomerates ' ' or 
" breccias/' originally consisted of pebbles or angular fragments of clay 
in a matrix of very sandy lighter-colored clay or argillaceous sand 
that in places contains oyster shells. By the infiltration of opaline 
silica, the rock has become dense, compact, and in many places vitre- 
ous or glassy to such an extent that the sand grains are no longer 
recognizable. The clay is about 3 in the scale of hardness and it 
requires a strong blow with the hammer to break it. The oyster 
shells have become opalized and agatized, the lime having been 
replaced by silica. 

In Grady, Brooks, and Thomas counties thin beds of white sand- 
stone, usually soft, are associated with sandy clays and are often 
phosphatic, the phosphate being in part the cementing agent. 

Thickness. — The maximum thickness of the Alum Bluff formation 
in Georgia is estimated to be 150 to 200 feet. At no known locality 
can the full thickness of the formation be seen in natural exposure, 
and the estimate is based chiefly on well records. Records at Lumber 
City, in Telfair County, indicate a thickness of over 200 feet. Some 
of the natural exposures on Savannah River reveal a thickness of 70 
or 80 feet. 

Pdleontologic character. — A few fossils have been found in the ma- 
rine beds of the formation in Georgia, most of them being in the form 
of casts and impressions. T. W. Vaughan obtained a number of spe- 
cies in the vicinity of Bainbridge, and a well-preserved oyster, Ostrea 
mauricensis, is found at several localities. The formation seems to 
mark the disappearance of the species of Orbitoides which are so 
common in the Vicksburg and Chattahoochee formations Among 
the characteristic fossils are Turritella alcida Dall, Carolia, and Pecten 
madisonius var. sayanus Dall. 

Physiographic expression. — The area over which the Alum Bluff 
formation is represented on the map as being at the immediate sur- 
face is relatively small, although in the southeastern part of Decatur 



94 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF -GEORGIA. 

and in the southern parts of Grady, Thomas, Brooks, and Lowndes 
counties a relatively broken and hilly topography has been produced 
by its erosion and weathering. This erosion is due chiefly to the char- 
acter of the drainage and the structural features. 

The higher divides and uplands underlain by the formation and 
mapped as "undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive," 
present a peculiar topography. Part of this area constitutes the 
Altamaha upland, one of the major topographic divisions of the 
Coastal Plain of Georgia (pp. 32-34), an area of low lulls with gentle 
slopes and softened outlines, of shallow saucer-shaped valleys, many 
of which are not more than 40 or 50 feet deep, of sluggish clear-water 
streams bordered by swamps and sand hammocks, and of "bays" 
and cypress ponds. 

Altamaha and Oconee rivers have cut deep valleys, and the pre- 
cipitous bluffs along their courses form an exception to the general 
type of topography of the area. The low hills and gentle slopes of 
the main area present a notable contrast to the broken hilly areas 
of the Cretaceous and Eocene near the fall line, with the lime-sink 
topography to the west and southwest, and with the flat sand-coated 
plains to the southeast. 

Structure. — The Alum Bluff formation has a very low southward 
and southeastward dip, certainly much less than that of the older 
Eocene and Vicksburg formations. On Savannah River the dip does 
not exceed 4 or 5 feet to the mile, and near the Florida line the beds 
must be almost horizontal, for the streams have cut through them, 
exposing the underlying formations. No evidence of broad flexures 
nor even minor folding and faulting was observed in the natural ex- 
posures of the strata. However, the probability that a broad arch 
exists in the southern part of the State has been mentioned. (See 
p. 59.) 

UNDIFFERENTIATED OLIGOCENE TO PLEISTOCENE, INCLUSIVE. 

The materials designated "Undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleisto- 
cene, inclusive," on the geologic map have been partly discussed under 
Alum Bluff formation (p. 91), and under Miocene series (pp. 97-98). 

The bulk of the deposits previously included by the writers and by 
others in the Altamaha formation and referred questionably to the 
Pliocene are now regarded by them as Oligocene and as probably con- 
temporaneous with part of the Alum Bluff formation. (See p. 91.) 
This material consists of irregularly bedded, locally indurated sands, 
clays, and gravels. On the whole the individual beds are homogene- 
ous, but locally they are a heterogeneous mixture. The indurated 
sands and the conglomerates contain a peculiar greenish or greenish- 
gray disseminated clay and are described as "gray or greenish alumi- 
nous grits." The pebbles are predominantly subangular, many of 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XV 




A. GREENISH-GRAY ARGILLACEOUS FELDSPATHIC SANDSTONE OF THE ALUM BLUFF FOR- 
MATION, KNOWN AS "THE ROCKS," NEAR THE HEAD OF A SMALL BRANCH 8 OR 9 MILES 
EAST OF NORTH OF BROXTON, COFFEE COUNTY. 




B. WEATHERED PHASE OF LATE OLIGOCENE BEDS IN A CUT OF THE ATLANTIC COAST LINE 
RAILROAD WEST OF CAIRO, GRADY COUNTY, SHOWING CHARACTERISTIC MOTTLING. 



GEOLOGY. 95 

them lath shaped, and the sands are universally harsh or in sharp 
angular grains. Feldspar is present in great abundance, both as 
pebbles and as seniidecomposed disseminated grains, and phases of 
the deposits maybe appropriately described as "feldspathie grit.' 7 
Calcareous phases are totally absent. The weathered surface mate- 
rials are mottled and splotched in red, yellow, purple, and gray, the 
surface aspects differing in this respect from those of any other 
formation of the Coastal Plain. (See PL XV, B.) These striking 
effects are probably due to unequal weathering, oxidation, and un- 
equal distribution of iron materials. This peculiar surface phase is 
not a later deposition but results from weathering, although in many 
places it appears to overlie unaltered beds unconformably. The 
materials are very coarse grained, even at points 100 miles from their 
northern margin. The beds that have been locally indurated to sand- 
stones, conglomerates, and claystones, do not differ essentially hi com- 
position from the nonindurated materials. 

The grit and sandstone phases, the peculiar nature of which at- 
tracted the special attention of those who first studied the terrane, are 
typically exposed along Altamaha Kiver (PL XIV, B, p. 91), where 
they appear as gray or greenish, aluminous sandstones, more or less 
mottled and stained by iron oxide. At some localities pebbles are 
embedded in the sand and clay matrix and the whole cemented into 
a conglomerate; but except for the pebbles these beds do not appear 
different from the usual sandstones of the Alum Bluff formation. 
The percentage of clay in the indurated rock varies from 5 per cent 
to a percentage sufficiently high to render the rock an indurated clay 
rather than a sandstone. The sandstones are generally soft and 
friable, the cementing material being an opaline silica, but locally the 
rock is extremely hard. In places the sandstones are arkosic; that 
is, they are composed of quartz, feldspar, mica, and other minerals 
originally derived from igneous rocks and have their interstices 
filled with clay, the whole being cemented with silica, producing 
rocks not unlike some of the indurated phases of the Lower Cretaceous 
strata near the fall line. These lithologic peculiarities have been 
observed at widely separated localities and are everywhere easily 
identified, although entirely devoid of fossils. Except along Alta- 
maha Kiver, surface outcrops are not abundant. In the interstream 
areas there are some small tracts a few acres in extent, in which jut- 
ting beds of sandstone 15 or 20 feet thick form barren rocky flats. 
Exposures of grit or hard rock are most common in the northern 
part of the Altamaha upland (see PL XV, A) but are not observed 
near the coast or near the Florida boundary line. It is believed that 
these isolated exposures are local indurations only and do not form 
continuous sandstone beds. 



96 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The clays, which are similar to those of the Alum Bluff formation, 
are fairly uniform in texture and composition throughout the area 
of then* occurrence. They are greenish or drab, very fine grained 
and plastic, and are everywhere more or less sandy. They have a low 
specific gravity, absorb a high percentage of water, and occur in 
thick irregular pockets or thin lenticular layers, nowhere persisting 
as individual beds over any large area. In places they grade into or 
are abruptly replaced by sands and sandstones. Greenish clay, full of 
coarse angular quartz particles and subangular decomposed feldspar 
pebbles is common. The clays are locally indurated, the cementing 
material being opaline silica. 

The sands consist chiefly of coarse quartz grains and are red and 
yellow, or orange, or less commonly brownish in color. They are 
more or less argillaceous and locally contain layers or lenses, rarely 
more than 8 or 10 feet thick, of quartz and feldspar pebbles. The 
feldspar pebbles constitute a large percentage of the gravel layers. 
A characteristic of the pebbles is their angularity, some being lath 
shaped and showing scarcely any rounding of the angles. At a few 
localities the pebbles are rather large, attaining a diameter of 4 to 5 
inches. The pebbly feature is nowhere very prominent and is ex- 
ceptional rather than general. Where the pebble beds are indurated, 
the cementing material is clay, opaline silica, and iron oxide. In the 
southwestern part of the State, near Whigham, in Grady County, the 
sands are, in places, fine grained, cross-bedded, and rarely micaceous, 
and are interstratified with thin layers and leaves of plastic clay 
which do not exceed an inch in thickness. 

In the northern part of the region the sands are everywhere coarse. 
It is only near the Florida State line that they are fine grained and 
even here they contain some coarse-grained materials. They are 
nowhere pure, and they contain large amounts of disseminated clay. 

The sands, clays, and sandstones, although described separately 
in the foregoing paragraphs, do not form beds of more than local 
extent. Irregularity of bedding is characteristic and in many of the 
exposed sections the sands, clays, and sandstones are present in 
interlocking small lenses or merge abruptly into each other hori- 
zontally. In places the sands and gritty clays may be seen to grade 
horizontally from nonindurated to indurated rocks, or from soft 
sands and clays into grits. 

Brown iron-oxide "pebbles" or nodules are so abundant at many 
places as to warrant special mention. They occur throughout 
the wire-grass region in such quantity as to cause the lands to be 
termed "pebble" or "pimple" land in contrast to the lands covered 
by the residual gray sand alone. Pebble land is generally recognized 
as being superior in productiveness. These nodules are a surface 
phenomenon produced by weathering, which causes the iron oxide 



GEOLOGY. 97 

of the argillaceous sands to segregate into irregular small bodies 
which are subsequently worn smooth. The pebbles vary in size 
from buckshot to 10 inches in diameter, but the buckshot size is 
most common. They are composed of limonite or some closely al- 
lied iron mineral with clay and sand impurities. They are round, 
tubercular, or irregular in shape, and have a slick or water-worn 
appearance, but as there is not much evidence of their having been 
transported by water their smoothness may be due to attrition by 
raindrops. These pebbles were noted as being especially abundant 
at Stillmore, Fitzgerald, Douglas, Pelham, and Doerun. 

The age of most of this material west of a line from Rocky Ford 
to Waycross is believed to be upper Oligocene. East of that line 
it probably ranges in age from Miocene to Pleistocene. 

MIOCENE SERIES. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

In earlier geologic literature the Chattahoochee and Alum Bluff 
formations were referred to the Miocene. In fact all the beds between 
the Vicksburg and the Pliocene or Pleistocene in the south Atlantic 
and eastern Gulf regions were regarded as belonging to this series. 
However, W. H. Dall recognized an "old or subtropical Miocene" 
and a "new or Chesapeake Miocene." Later 1 he referred the 
so-called "old Miocene" to the Oligocene. The Miocene as treated 
in this report includes only the deposits formerly designated "new 
or Chesapeake Miocene," which lie between the Alum Bluff forma- 
tion and the Pliocene on Pleistocene deposits. 

T. W. Vaughan 2 has recently made a paleontologic study of the 
section at Porters Landing, Savannah River, Effingham County, 
and has correlated the upper part of the Miocene there exposed 
( = Edisto phase of Sloan 3 ) with the Duplin marl of North Carolina, 
and the lower part (Marks Head of Sloan) approximately with the 
Calvert formation of Maryland. 

Except in the exposures in the vicinity of Porters Landing, at 
Mount Pleasant Landing, and at Sisters Ferry, it has not been possible 
with the available data to differentiate the Marks Head and Duplin 
marls in the Savannah River sections, though doubtless both forma- 
tions are represented, at least from Hudsons Ferry in Screven 
County to Sisters Ferry in Effingham County. 

Fossils of Miocene age have been recognized in dredgings from 
Brunswick River at Brunswick, Glynn County, but they had been 

i U. S. Geol. Surrey Eighteenth Ann. Rept., pt. 2, pp. 329-332, 1898. U. S. Nat. Mus. Proa, vol. 19, 
No. 1110, pp. 303, 304, 1896. 

2 Science, new ser., vol. 31, No. 804, pp. 833-834, 1910. 

3 According to Vaughan the Edisto of Sloan in the Porters Landing section is much younger than the 
Edisto of Sloan in the vicinity of Charleston. 

38418°— wsp 341—15 7 



98 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 

mixed by the dredging processes with large numbers of shells younger 
than Miocene. Limestone, tentatively referred to the Miocene, occurs 
on the Livingston plantation, 18 miles west of Brunswick, in Glynn 
County, and a calcareous sand of Miocene age occurs at Owens 
Ferry, Satilla River, 8 miles west of Woodbine, Camden County. 

It is believed that strata of Miocene age underlie much of the 
region adjacent to the Atlantic coast beneath beds of younger age, 
and it is considered not improbable that such strata may reach a 
thickness of 200 or 300 feet. However, confirmatory evidence is 
lacking. 

The marine invertebrate-bearing beds of the Miocene which out- 
crop on Savannah and Altamaha rivers and which lie buried beneath 
younger deposits in a zone adjacent to the coast are believed to have 
coarser shoreward phases represented in the undifferentiated. Oligo- 
cene to Pleistocene deposits indicated on the map as a belt between 
the Alum Bluff formation and the known Pleistocene formations. 

MARKS HEAD MARL. 

Areal distribution and structure. — The Marks Head marl has been 
differentiated at and in the vicinity of Porters Landing, Savannah 
River, Effingham County (PL XIII, p. 90), and is doubtless represented 
in the undifferentiated Miocene in the sections above Porters Land- 
ing, at least as far as Hudsons Ferry, and in the sections between 
Porters Landing and Sisters Ferry. 

The formation is almost entirely concealed by younger sediments 
and outcrops only in the bluffs of streams. For this reason it has 
had little or no influence on either the topography or the soil of the 
region. So far as can be determined from natural exposures, it lies 
almost horizontal, having only a very slight dip southward, probably 
not more than 4 feet to the mile. 

Stratigraphic position. — The Marks Head marl rests upon the Alum 
Bluff formation of the Oligocene, from which, according to exposures 
on Savannah River, it is separated by an erosion unconformity. 
However, both the physical and faunal evidence seems to show that 
the time interval represented by this unconformity was relatively 
short. ' The formation is overlain unconformably by the Duplin marl, 
and as the Marks Head marl is early Miocene and the Duplin marl 
late Miocene the unconformity separating them is important. 

Lithologic character and thickness. — The beds of the formation 
consist of gray or brownish compact argillaceous sands containing 
large calcareous nodules and, in places, of friable phosphatic sands con- 
taining shells. The phosphatic sands consist mainly of quartz grains 
with subordinate percentages of phosphate in the form of small, 
brown and black, smooth or water-worn particles of bones and teeth* 
disseminated clay, and calcium carbonate in the form of shells and 



GEOLOGY. 99 

calcareous nodules. A maximum observed thickness of 45 feet 
occurs in some of the sections in the vicinity of Porters Landing on 
Savannah Kiver. 

Paleontologic character. — The formation has yielded a relatively 
small fauna, the collections coming chiefly from localities in the vicin- 
ity of Porters Landing, Savannah River. The fossils have been 
studied by T. W. Vaughan, who says : 

The presence of Carolia in this bed suggests Oligocene, but every other identifiable 
species may be Miocene, and only three others range downward into the Oligocene; 
nine species are not known below the Miocene; of these nine, six are confined to the 
Miocene. The horizon is, therefore, in the Miocene, while the presence of Turritella 
sequistriata Conrad, Calliostoma aphelium Dall, Ostrea mauricensis Gabb, and Pecten 
marylandicus Wagner, definitely points to a horizon low in the series. 

DTTPLIN MARL. 

Areal distribution and structure. — The Duplin marl has been differ- 
entiated in the sections at Porters Landing and at Mount Pleasant 
Landing, 1^ miles below Porters Landing. The formation is doubtless 
represented in undifferentiated Miocene beds recognized in bluffs above 
Porters Landing as far as Hudsons Ferry, and below Porters Landing 
perhaps as far as Purisburg, S. C, 23 miles above Savannah. The for- 
mation has also been differentiated at Doctortown, at Buzzards Roost 
Bluff, and at Bugs Bluff on Altamaha River. The terrane probably 
underlies surficial formations throughout much of the region inter- 
vening between its exposures on Altamaha and Savannah rivers. 

The Duplin strata dip southeastward at a low angle, probably not 
greater than 3 or 4 feet to the mile. Except in a few stream bluffs 
the formation is probably concealed over the entire area of its occur- 
rence by surficial deposits, and for this reason has had little or no part 
in determining the topographic features or the character of the 
soils. 

Stratigraphic position. — The Duplin marl rests unconformably upon 
the Marks Head marl, or, where the latter is absent, upon the Alum 
Bluff formation of the Oligocene. The former relations were ob- 
served in sections examined at and in the vicinity of Porters Landing, 
Savannah River, and the latter relations are believed to obtain in 
sections on Altamaha River, at the bluff at Doctortown, at Buzzards 
Roost Bluff, and at Bugs Bluff. 

In the vicinity of Porters Landing the formation is overlain by 
terrace deposits of Pleistocene age. 

Liihologic character. — The formation as exposed on Savannah River 
is mainly a shell marl, consisting of shells in a matrix of coarse phos- 
phatic sand, but in places is a fine gray or brown quartz sand con- 
taining scarcely any fossils or calcareous matter. On Savannah 
River it probably does not reach a thickness of more than 10 to 12 
feet. 



100 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

On Altamaha River the Duplin marl consists of 12 or 15 feet of 
friable, sandy, and pebbly shell marls, and bluish, compact, fine- 
grained, argillaceous, fossiliferous sands. It overlies, unconformably, 
strata of probable Alum Bluff age and is in turn overlain by undiffer- 
entiated, varicolored sands and clays winch probably belong in part 
to the Pliocene and in part to the Pleistocene. 

Paleontologic character. — The Duplin marl has yielded a fairly 
large number of species in Georgia, although much fewer than in the 
type region in North Carolina. The collections were made chiefly 
at Porters Landing, on Savannah River, but a few species have been 
identified from Doctortown and from Buzzards Roost Bluff, on 
Altamaha River. T. W. Vaughan furnishes the following statement 
in regard to these: 

Total number of identified species, 34 (not counting varieties), 30 of which arealso 
at Duplin. The 4 species which have not been found there are as follows: 

Pteria colymbus Bolten, the previously known range of which was from the Caloosa- 
hatchee Pliocene to Recent, or younger than the Duplin. 

Astarte distans var. floridana Dall. Miocene of Jackson Bluff, Fla., approximately 
the Duplin horizon. 

Phacoides multilineatus (T. & H.) Known range from the Miocene of Maysville, 
S. C, to Recent; from the Duplin to Recent. 

Transennella caloosana Dall. Known range from Miocene of Jackson Bluff, Fla., 
to Pleistocene; from approximately the Duplin to Pleistocene. 

The bed whence the fossils came is evidently the stratigraphic equivalent of the 
Duplin marl of North Carolina. 

PLIOCENE (?) SERIES. 
DISTRIBUTION. 

Although the existence of strata of Pliocene age in Georgia has not 
been definitely proved, certain deposits have been referred with 
greater or lesser degrees of confidence to this epoch. The deposits of 
the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain to which the name Lafayette 
formation has been applied have for many years been regarded as of 
probable Pliocene age. 

The Lafayette formation is represented by McGee as covering the 
entire Coastal Plain of Georgia, and has been described by different 
investigators from numerous localities in Georgia. Recent investiga- 
tions have shown, however, that many and perhaps all of these 
correlations were erroneous. Several of the beds so referred have 
been found to belong to Cretaceous, Eocene, or Oligocene formations 
or to be the weathered residual products of these formations. Terrace 
deposits which are clearly of Pleistocene age have also been referred 
to this formation. 

The authors have examined certain remnantal deposits of gravel 
on the divides near the fall line, chiefly in the vicinity of Augusta, 
Macon, and Columbus, which previous workers had regarded as 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XVI 




A. CHARLTON FORMATION, ST. MARYS RIVER (FLORIDA SIDE), 1 MILE ABOVE TRADERS 
HILL, CHARLTON COUNTY. 




B. BEARDS BLUFF, ALTAMAHA RIVER, TATTNALL COUNTY, SHOWING PROMINENT CLAY LAYER 
IN THE SATILLA FORMATION, OVERLAIN BY LOOSE SAND. 



GEOLOGY. 101 

belonging to the Lafayette formation. The authors believe that 
the Lafayette in Georgia is represented, if at all, by these deposits, but 
even as to these they have strong doubts, considering it more proba- 
ble that some of them are remnants of the basal conglomerates of 
Cretaceous or Eocene formations that formerly overlapped the area, 
and that others are lenses of gravel in these older formations, the 
relations of which have become more or less obscured by weathering. 
These deposits are all north of the. area in which the Alum Bluff 
formation is represented as outcropping. 

Certain fossiliferous strata exposed on Satilla and St. Marys rivers 
have, on paleontologic evidence, been considered as probably of 
Pliocene age and are described under the name Chariton formation. 
These marine strata probably have littoral shallow-water representa- 
tives in the undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene deposits to the 
north in Ware, Pierce, Appling, and Wayne counties. (See geologic 
map, PL III, p. 52.) 

CHARLTON FORMATION. 

The name Charlton is derived from Charlton County, Ga., and is 
applied to an argillaceous limestone and clay formation exposed in the 
banks and bluffs of St. Marys River from Stokes Ferry, 1 1 miles south 
of St. George, Charlton County, to Orange Bluff, near Kings Ferry, 
Fla. (See PI. XVI, A.) From a study of the fossil collections from 
the St. Marys localities T. W. Vaughan has classified the formation as 
probably Pliocene. 

Fossiliferous marls probably referable to the formation have been 
observed on Satilla River at Burnt Fort, 12 miles northeast of Folk- 
ston, Charlton County; on land of W. M. Thrift, 6 miles east of 
Winokur, Charlton County; and at the King plantation, 6 miles south 
of Atkinson, Wayne County. Fossils from the last-named locality 
have been referred by Aldrich 1 and Dall 2 to the Pliocene. General 
considerations based on structure and on the lithologic character of the 
materials seem to justify the reference of this marl bed to the Charlton 
formation. 

The relations of the Charlton formation to the Miocene are not 
definitely known. From Stokes Ferry, where the top of the forma- 
tion is perhaps 30 or 35 feet above sea level, the upper nonconformable 
surface descends gradually downstream and finally reaches tide level. 
According to the geologic map of Florida, by Matson and Clapp, 3 the 
Jacksonville formation (Miocene) outcrops at elevations of 50 to 100 
feet above sea level a short distance south and east of St. Marys 
River. Beds from which T. W. Vaughan has identified Miocene 
fossils are exposed at low tide at Owens Ferry, Satilla River, Camden 

i Nautilus, vol. 24, No. 11, p. 131, 1911. 

2 U. S. Nat. Mus. Proa, vol. 46, pp. 226, 227, 1913. 

s Florida Geol. Survey Second Ann. Rept., 1909. 



102 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN" OP GEORGIA. 

County. In view of these occurrences of Miocene the Pliocene beds 
on St. Marys River, if correctly correlated, may occupy an erosion 
basin in Miocene strata, or, if the latter are absent beneath them, 
they may rest in a similar basin in pre-Miocene strata probably 
referable to the Alum Bluff formation (Oligocene). The great thick- 
ness attributed to the Miocene at Jacksonville, 460 feet, and the fact 
that the Miocene there is supposed to lie unconformably upon the 
Vicksburg makes the former alternative seem the more probable. 
There are no data for estimating the thickness of the formation, for 
only 12 or 15 feet of strata have been observed in natural exposures. 

The strata are poorly fossiliferous, and it is difficult to correlate 
them by means of their fossils. The formation is characterized at 
two or three localities by an abundance of ostracodes. 

With regard to the age of the formation, T. W. Vaughan says: 

None of the material [fossils] between Hicks Bluff and Orange Bluff [St. Marys 
Biver] can be older than Pliocene, and although not a single extinct species was col- 
lected, it may be Pliocene. The two species of ostracodes listed by Dr. Bassler from 
Band Landing and Clay Landing appear to be Becent. As the material from Stokes 
Ferry seems to be the same as that from Band and Clay landings it is probably the 
same age [Pliocene]. 

QUATERNARY SYSTEM. 

PLEISTOCENE SERIES. 

SUBDIVISIONS. 

The Pleistocene deposits consist of thin accumulations of sand, 
clay, and gravel on terraces of fluviatile and marine origin. The 
only systematic description of the Pleistocene of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia previously given is that of McGee. 1 McGee first studied 
the Pleistocene in the District of Columbia, gave it the name Colum- 
bia formation, and differentiated it into three phases, the fluvial, 
interfluvial, and low-level phases. He traced the formation south- 
ward to the Mississippi and to Mexico, recognizing the three phases 
in Georgia, and giving brief general descriptions of them. Previous 
to McGee's studies Lyell and other observers had already noticed 
successive terraces on the coast of Georgia, but had apparently 
failed to recognize their geologic significance. 

The classification given in the present report is based largely on 
topography, and the formations are described in greater detail than 
in McGee's report. The name Columbia as a group term is retained. 
The divisions are as follows: 



Satilla formation: 

Marine terrace deposits. 
Fluviatile deposits. 



Okefenokee formation: 
Coastal terrace sand. 
Fluviatile deposits. 



i McGee, W J, The Lafayette formation: U. S. Geol. Survey Twelfth Ann. Rept., pt. 1, pp. 384-407, 1891. 



GEOLOGY. 103 

The solution of the Pleistocene problems of Georgia, and in fact 
those of the Atlantic coast region in general, is conditioned largely on 
a knowledge of topographic details, which can not be acquired until 
detailed topographic maps have been made. 

In Georgia the Pleistocene formations are not superimposed one 
upon the other but occupy terraces at different topographic levels. 

During the Okefenokee epoch gray sands and other sediments 
were laid down on a terrace plain of probable marine origin, now 
60 to 125 feet above sea level, and contemporaneous fluviatile deposits 
of gravel, sand, and loam were laid down on the "second" terrace 
skirting the larger rivers. 

During the Satilla epoch gray sands and muds were laid down on 
a marine terrace, a flat plain 20 to 40 miles broad, bordering the 
coast at elevations of 15 to 40 feet above sea level, and corresponding 
terrace alluvium was deposited along the rivers. 

Although the available data are too incomplete to permit positive 
statements, it is not improbable that an older Pleistocene terrace 
plain exists west of and at a higher elevation than the Okefenokee 
terrace. Evidence of such a plain is to be seen in the topographic 
aspect of the country along the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad between 
Valdosta, Lowndes County, and Waycross, Ware County; along the 
Atlantic Coast Line Eailroad between Pearson, Coffee County, and 
Waycross; and along the Southern Railway between Baxley, in 
Appling County, to near Jesup, Wayne County. The general surface 
of the belt of country crossed by these railroads is a nearly level 
plain which gradually descends toward the coast. Along the first- 
mentioned railroad there is a descent from an elevation of 215 feet 
at Valdosta to 140 feet at Waycross; along the second there is a 
descent from 205 feet at Pearson to 140 feet at Waycross; and along 
the third a descent from 206 feet at Baxley to 155 feet at Odum. 

The northern part of Effingham and the southern parts of Screven 
and Bulloch counties also present the aspect of a plain similar to the 
Okefenokee plain. 

COLUMBIA GROUP. 

OKEFENOKEE FORMATION. 

Distribution and character. — The name Okefenokee is derived from 
Okefenokee Swamp, a great, swampy tract in southern Georgia 
covering parts of Charlton, Ware, and Clinch counties. The swamp 
occupies a portion of the plain on which were laid down the deposits 
under consideration. The Okefenokee formation consists in part of 
coastal terrace deposits and in part of river terrace or fluviatile 
deposits. During its deposition there was probably a depression of 
the land, the coast line being perhaps 40 to 75 miles west of its present 



104 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

position. Coastal sands and probably other sediments were laid 
down as a terrace, and contemporaneous fluviatile terraces were 
formed along the larger rivers as far as the fall line. The coastal 
terrace formed during this period is a flat plain 20 to 40 miles wide, 
which varies in elevation from 60 to about 125 feet above sea level 
and is covered with gray and white quartz sands. The river terraces 
lie 50 to 100 feet above low-water level and form prominent topo- 
graphic features along Savannah, Ocmulgee, and Chattahoochee 
rivers. The river-terrace deposits consist of sands and gravels of 
fluviatile or fluvioestuarine origin. The two types of deposits will 
be described separately. 

Coastal terrace deposits. — The coastal terrace phase of the forma- 
tion is represented principally by a thin deposit of gray sand which 
covers the Okefenokee plain. The age of the formation is deter- 
mined by its physiographic position and not by fossils, for none of 
these have been found. The western boundary of the plain is marked 
approximately by a line extending from near Sisters Ferry on Savan- 
nah River, or Clyo, southeastward through the northern part of 
Bryan County, to about 3 miles north of Ludowici, Liberty County; 
thence to Jesup, and along the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad to near 
Waycross, Ware County; and thence to the western boundary of the 
Okefenokee Swamp. The plain includes the Okefenokee Swamp and 
the towns of Folkston, Jesup, Ludowici, and Hinesville. Its eastern 
boundary is marked by an escarpment 20 to 40 miles from the coast, 
which separates it from the first or Satilla terrace. (See fig. 1, p. 29.) 

The most conspicuous deposit on the plain referable to this period 
is gray sand. Red and yellow sands containing thin clay layers 
and pebble beds underlie the surface sand and are doubtless in part 
Pleistocene. The marine terrace deposits of the Okefenokee forma- 
tion are not in contact with any formation older than Pliocene and 
Miocene. On the west the sand of the Okefenokee plain merges 
into the surficial sand of a higher plain, and the two can not every- 
where be sharply discriminated. Swampy flats traversed by small 
creeks and underlain by muds probably belonging to this epoch of 
the Pleistocene occur in the plain. 

The gray surface sand is composed almost entirely of subangulai 
quartz particles, probably derived from the older formations of the 
Coastal Plain. On the whole, the sand is perhaps finer in texture 
and lighter in color than the upland sands to the west. At the sur- 
face it is loose, incoherent, and structureless, but in depth it shows 
faint lines of stratification and current bedding. At a few localities 
it is white at the surface and darker colored beneath, the white 
phase having been formed by leaching and not as a separate deposit. 
A notable occurrence of white sand lies along the railroad between 
Ludowici and Darien Junction. 



GEOLOGY. 105 

In the Okefenokee Swamp the only deposits known, aside from 
the recent peaty accumulations, are white, yellow, brown, and black 
sands— the dark colors being due to organic matter. The sand is 
in places indurated, probably by a cement of iron oxide. This is the 
so-called hardpan of this area. 

The thickness of the sand is small, probably averaging less than 
10 feet over the whole plain. Good exposures appear at Folks ton, 
where the average thickness is 6 or 8 feet, with local accumulations 
reaching 20 feet; the sand is gray, almost white at the surface, and 
light yellow beneath. At other places over the plain its thickness 
varies from 2 to 15 feet. 

The plain which the Okefenokee covers is in general flat and 
almost featureless. Some of the larger streams traversing the plain 
have bluffs 30 or 40 feet high, but these are exceptional. The ero- 
sive power of rain water is lessened by the porous sand, and ravines 
and gullies are rare. The main streams have few tributaries. The 
plain is dotted with cypress ponds and swamps due to original 
inequalities in the land surface. Locally the sand has been heaped 
into low ridges and hillsj some of which may have been factors in 
determining the courses of streams. 

As may be inferred from the lithologic description given above 
little can be said regarding the structure of this formation. It con- 
forms to the low seaward slope of the Okefenokee plain and varies 
in elevation from 60 to 125 feet above sea level. 

Fluviatile terrace deposits. — Bordering the large rivers of the Coastal 
Plain of Georgia are remnants of a plain higher than the "second 
bottoms" or S a till a plain and 50 to 200 feet lower than the general 
upland of the region. It is believed that the deposits laid down on 
this plain are contemporaneous with the coastal deposits of the 
Okefenokee formation. While the coastal portion of the Okefenokee 
terrace plain was being cut and the gray sands and other deposits 
were being laid down upon it, the terraces bordering the present 
river valleys and their accompanying deposits were being formed, 
either by the waves along the borders of reentrant estuaries, or by 
the meandering of the rivers in the parts of the valleys not sub- 
merged. The river terraces coalesce with the coastal terrace. 

The river-terrace plains lie 50 to 125 feet above the present rivers. 
Immediately subsequent to their formation the fluviatile portions of 
the Okefenokee plain filled the valleys from side to side, having 
widths varying from 1 to 10 miles; into these ancient plains the 
rivers have intrenched themselves, forming younger plains at the 
levels of the Satilla plain and of the Recent flood plain. The cutting 
of these younger plains has destroyed all but remnants of the original 
Okefenokee plain. 



106 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The fluviatile deposits of the Okefenokee formation overlie in turn 
all the older formations of the Coastal Plain, from the Cretaceous to 
the Pliocene. The materials have been derived in part, perhaps 
chiefly, from these older formations, and in part from the rocks of the 
Piedmont Plateau north of the Coastal Plain. On account of litho- 
logic similarity it is in places difficult to distinguish between the ter- 
race deposits and the underlying older formations. However, a 
gravel bed is generally present at the base of the terrace deposits, 
and unconformable relations to the older deposits appear wherever 
there are clean-cut exposures. 

The deposits consist chiefly of red argillaceous sands, in places 
pebbly, and coarse gravels. (See PI. XVII, A.) Clay beds are few 
and the formation lacks the distinctive alluvial character of the lower 
terrace and flood-plain deposits. Along some of the streams a gray, 
incoherent, rather pure sand seems to be the only deposit. Near the 
fall line the deposits show clearly that they have been derived in large 
part from the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau, but farther 
south the formations of the Coastal Plain have contributed a major 
portion of the materials. Along Withlacoochee, Alapaha, and Och- 
lockonee rivers the detritus has been derived entirely from the 
formations of the Coastal Plain. The formation, is usually unconsoli- 
dated, but at a few places contains local beds of gravel cemented by 
iron oxide. The pebbles are chiefly quartz and quartzite, but a 
subordinate percentage are limestone, flint, and limonite. 

At a number of localities on the Okefenokee plain there are sur- 
ficial, brown-gray, loose, incoherent sands which differ in their physical 
appearance and lithologic characters from the red loams and gravels 
forming the terrace deposits, and which resemble closely the gray sand 
of the upland. Conspicuous accumulations of such sands were noted 
at Montezuma, Bainbridge, Fort Gaines, Dublin, and Lumber City. 
(See PI. XVII, B.) Some of these deposits are in the form of hills 
and are probably of wind-dune origin; they may have been formed 
subsequent to the elevation of the terrace plain. At other localities 
the gray sands appear to be water-laid sediments which rest directly 
upon the older formations, forming a thin uniform mantle over the 
plain. 

The formation is thin, not exceeding 50 feet in thickness at any 
place and being usually much less than 20 feet. The greatest thick- 
ness was noted near the fall line. 

Except for fragments of silicifled wood found at Fort Gaines and 
for fossils in limestone and flint pebbles derived from the underlying 
Tertiary beds no fossils are known in this formation. 

The deposits are confined to comparatively level plains paralleling 
the rivers. The plains were originally 1 mile to 10 miles in width, 
but the deposits have been so largely removed by subsequent erosion 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XVII 




A. EXPOSURE OF PLEISTOCENE TERRACE GRAVEL (OKEFENOKEE FORMATION) IN COLUMBUS- 
LUMPKIN ROAD, CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY, 11 MILES SOUTH OF COLUMBUS. 




B. SAND USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS (PROBABLY BELONGING TO THE OKEFENOKEE 
FORMATION), 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF LUMBER CITY, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF LITTLE OCMULGEE 
RIVER. 



GEOLOGY. 



107 



that their total area is relatively small. They are confined princi- 
pally to the courses of Chattahoochee, Flint, Ocmulgee, Oconee, 
Altamaha, Ogeechee, Savannah, Ochlockonee, Withlacoochee, Little, 
and Alapaha rivers. 

At a few localities the terrace forms conspicuous topographic fea- 
tures. The business portion of Macon, a part of the residence por- 
tion of Columbus, the cities of Fort Gaines, Albany, Lumber City, and 
parts of Augusta are built on this terrace. 

In detail the surface of the terrace is nearly level, the only undula- 
tions being due to sand heaps. The vegetation is more luxuriant 
and the soil generally more fertile than on the interstream uplands. 

The approximate elevations of the second or Okefenokee terrace 
plain above sea level at the fall line are: 

Elevations on Okefenokee terrace plain at fall line. 



Terrace 
plain. 



Augusta 

Milledgeville 

Macon 

Flint River at fall line 
Columbus 



From the fall line the river terraces gradually descend and merge 
into the coastal sand plains bordering the seacoast. 




SATILLA FORMATION. 



Deposition. — The name Satilla is derived from Satilla River, Ga., 
and is applied to the latest Pleistocene deposits of the State. These 
deposits are typically developed along either side of Satilla River in 
Camden and Charlton counties. The shore line during their deposi- 
tion was parallel to the present Atlantic coast, but stood 20 to 30 
miles farther inland. The greater parts of Camden, Glynn, and 
Chatham counties, all of Mcintosh County, the southern part of 
Bryan County, and the eastern part of Liberty County were sub- 
merged and the valleys of the larger rivers were inundated to unde- 
termined distances inland. Two types of deposits, coastal marine 
deposits and fluviatile or river terrace deposits, were formed. 

Coastal terrace deposits. — The coastal deposits lie upon a wave-cut 
terrace which extends 20 to 30 miles back from the present ocean at 
elevations of 15 to 40 feet above sea level. The western limit of this 
terrace or plain is marked by the high sand ridge east of Folkston, 
Charlton County, and by the escarpment at Waynesville and Mount 
Pleasant, Wayne County, and at Walthoursville, Liberty County. 
North of Liberty County the escarpment is not so pronounced as it 
is to the southward, and owing to the lack of topographic maps it 



108 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

has not been traced in detail; however, it probably passes close to 
Clyde, Bryan County, Meldrim, Effingham County, and Meinhard, 
Chatham County. This terrace is referred to in this report as the 
"first marine terrace" or "first Pleistocene plain" and is not to be 
confused with the Kecent analogous plain now in process of forma- 
tion as sand beaches and tide marshes. 

The deposits on the Satilla plain rest unconformably upon Pliocene 
or Miocene strata, concealing the latter from view except where ex- 
posed along stream bluffs and banks. No sharp distinction can be 
drawn between the latest Pleistocene and the Kecent deposits. 

The relative age of the formation with respect to the older Okefe- 
nokee formation is determined by its topographic position and not 
by its stratigraphic sequence or its paleontologic character. 

The formation consists of greenish and bluish marine clays; gray, 
white, and yellow sands; and thin layers of gravel. None of the 
deposits are consolidated. 

The clays are fine textured and appear to have been deposited as 
muds in lagoons or tidal marshes. They are calcareous in places and 
contain oyster shells and white calcareous nodules, disseminated, de- 
cayed vegetation, stumps of trees, and bones of animals. Gypsum 
crystals were noted at Savannah and at Colerain Bluff on St. Marys 
River in Camden County. The clays are usually massive and show 
few traces of lamination or bedding. They are underlain by sands 
and often by thin beds of well-rounded quartz pebbles, apparently 
of beach origin. The sands cover the greater part of the plain and 
form low bluffs on the coast. At the surface they are gray or white, 
becoming yellowish, brownish, or even black at depths, the color being 
due to iron oxide and disseminated organic matter. They are com- 
posed almost entirely of sharp, angular, quartz grains, and are per- 
haps, on the whole, finer than the gray, surficial sands of the higher 
plains; small amounts of mica and black sand, magnetite, ilmenite, 
and other black, silicate minerals were noted. The sands show evi- 
dences of stratification and cross-bedding, and contain shells or prints 
of shells; at a few places, as at the bluff near Crescent, Mcintosh 
County, they are slightly indurated by iron-oxide cement. 

The sands and clays are closely associated and are contemporaneous 
deposits. 

The maximum thickness of the deposits is perhaps not more than 
50 feet and the average not more than 15 feet. A thickness of 22 
feet of clay has been observed near Savannah and 20 feet of sand 
appears at Crescent. At Rose Bluff, Fla., opposite St. Marys, the 
bluff, which at low tide is 45 feet high, exposes Pleistocene strata 
referable to this formation from base to top. 

The formation is fossiliferous and in this respect is in contrast to 
the older and topographically higher Okefenokee formation. Shells, 



GEOLOGY. 



109 



mostly living species, are common in places; remains of mammals, 
including megatherium, tapir, horse, mammoth, beaver, deer, and 
cetacea, sharks' teeth, and the remains of a species of crocodile 
are also found. Buried stumps have been observed at many places, 
but no other plant remains of paleontologic value have been discov- 
ered. 

Bones and teeth obtained from the dredgings at Brunswick were 
studied by J. W. Gidley, of the Smithsonian Institution, who says: 

The materials from Brunswick, Ga., consist for the most part of fossil fragments of 
various mammals and fishes representing species of early Pleistocene age. The 
sharks' teeth, however, probably represent Eocene and Miocene species. The recog- 
nizable genera and species are as follows : 

mammals — Continued . 
A cervuline, probably belonging to the 

genus Cervus. 
Tapirus haysii Leidy. 



Equus fraternus Leidy. 

Equus ? complicatus Leidy. 

Equus ? tau Owen (or more probably an 

undescribed species). 
Mammut floridanum (Leidy). 
Physeter ? vetus Leidy or Physeterula ? 

neolassicus. 
Megatherium sp. probably M. america- 

num. 
Castoroides ohioticus. 
Bison ? bison Linn. Crocodilus sp. 

The " Eocene and Miocene species" may be detrital material rede- 
posited during the Pleistocene. 

A collection of shells was made at Rose Bluff, Fla., opposite St. 
Marys, Camden County, from which the following forms were deter- 
mined by T. W. Vaughan: 



Carcharodon, Galeocerdo, and Lamna. 

Sting-ray — Pastinaca sp. 

The sharks' teeth represent several species 

of the genera Carcharodon, Galeocerdo, 

and Lamna. 

REPTILES. 



Mulinia lateralis (Say). 
Terebra dislocata Say. 
Olivella mutica Say. 
Nassa acuta Say. 
Turbonilla sp. 
Neverita duplicata Say. 
Natica pusilla Say. 
Sigaretus perspectivus Say. 
Nucula proxima Say. 
Area incongrua Say. 
Ostrea virginica Gmel. 



Anomia sumplex Orb. 

Phacoides multilineatus (T. & H.). 

Divaricella quadrisulcata Orb. 

Cardium robustum Solander. 

Tellina (Angulus) sayi Deshayes. 

Strigilla flexuosa Say. 

Donax fossor Say. 

Donax variabilis Say ? young. 

Ervilia concentrica Gould. 

Labiosa canaliculata Say. 



Sir Charles Lyell, 1 who visited several localities along the coast of 
Georgia, notes finding the tooth of a Mylodon and the grinder of a 
mastodon at Heyners Bridge, 12 miles south of Savannah; he also 
mentions finding the remains of Megatherium in the old Brunswick 
Canal and on Skidaway Island. Lyell suggests that the deposits are 

1 Travels in North America, vol. 1, pp. 163, 164, 1845. 



110 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

of fluviomarine origin and that the bones of the mammals were car- 
ried down by streams. 

Oyster shells are found in the clay deposits west of Savannah, in 
clay in the western part of Glynn County, in the clay terrace border- 
ing St. Marys River, and elsewhere. Large bones of mammals have 
been found at Whiteoak, Camden County. 

The time that has elapsed since the emergence of the Satilla plain 
from below sea level has been relatively short and erosion has affected 
only slightly the appearance of the surface. The plain is very flat 
and comprises great stretches of swamp land. In places on the plain 
there are low ridges of sand, probably of beach and wind-dune origin, 
although some such ridges may have existed as banks or islands pre- 
vious to the emergence of the plain above sea level. The clay flats 
probably represent the sites of old marshes and shallow estuaries and 
straits. 

If the coast region were uplifted 15 or 20 feet above its present 
elevation, a plain now submerged beneath the ocean waters would 
appear as an emerged terrace lying east of and parallel to the Satilla 
terrace and separated from it by an escarpment. This plain would 
be analogous to the Satilla plain in all its essential features. 

Fluviatile terrace deposits. — The fluviatile deposits of the epoch 
form low terraces along the larger rivers of the Coastal Plain. They 
consist of unconsolidated sands, clays, and gravels which merge coast- 
ward into the marine or fluviomarine deposits. 

The river terraces of the Satilla formation are comparatively flat 
plains, lying 10 to 50 feet above the rivers and varying in width from 
a few yards to 1 miles. " They extend from the fall line southward and 
eventually merge into the marine terrace plain of the same formation. 
The greatest width is along the lower course of Savannah River, but 
the river is cutting into this original terrace and forming the recent 
alluvium. A distinction is made between the Satilla terrace and the 
Recent flood plain. 

The Satilla formation overlies Cretaceous and Tertiary formations 
unconformably. It varies in elevation above sea level from about 
300 feet at the fall line to 20 or 30 feet where it merges into the coastal 
deposits. Its thickness does not generally exceed 10 or 20 feet but 
attains 40 feet in places. 

Lithologically the deposits vary considerably on the different 
rivers. On the whole they are distinctly fluviatile or alluvial, con- 
sisting of clay (PI. XVI, B, p. 100), sands, and gravels, generally un- 
consolidated, and without regular bedding. The materials have been 
derived in part from the adjacent older formations of the Coastal Plain, 
and in part from the rocks of the Piedmont Plateau to the northward. 
Sand heaps, probably wind accumulations, were noted at a number 
of places on this terrace. 



GEOLOGY. Ill 

The river-terrace deposits contain little of paleontologic interest. 
A few mammalian fyones were found at the base of the deposits on 
St. Marys and Suwannee rivers, and a few fragments of silicified wood 
have been observed. 

RECENT SERIES. 

The Recent deposits, or those formed since the close of the Pleisto- 
cene or the uplift of the Satilla or latest Pleistocene terrace and now 
in the process of formation, consist of (1) marsh and tide-swamp 
muds; (2) beach and dune sands; (3) river flood-plain deposits; (4) 
interstream swamp deposits; (5) certain terrigenous deposits semi- 
alluvial in character. 

The processes by which the Satilla terrace, with its accompanying 
deposits, was formed are being repeated at the present time along the 
coast. The Recent terrace thus being formed is largely submarine. 
Beach sands are being laid down on the ocean front, sands and clays 
are being deposited in the estuaries, and muds are being deposited in 
the marsh and tide-swamp lands. In the absence of accurate maps 
the area of marsh and tide-swamp land along the coast may be 
roughly estimated at 400 square miles. Though observations have 
not been made at many localities, it may be said that the thickness 
of the Recent deposits in the area inundated by the tides probably 
does not exceed 6 feet. The composition of the muds is indicated by 
the following analysis of a sample from St. Simons Island, collected 
by S. W. McCallie and analyzed by Edgar Everhart. 

Analysis of mud from St. Simons Island. 

Moisture at 100° C 4.62 

Loss on ignition 9. 94 

Soda (Na 2 0) 3. 06 

Potash (K 2 0) 1. 13 

Lime(CaO) - 40 

Magnesia (MgO) 1.28 

Alumina (A1 2 3 ) 13. 67 

Ferric oxide (Fe 2 3 ) 4. 86 

Titanium dioxide (Ti0 2 ) 1. 01 

Sulphur trioxide (S0 3 ) 24 

Phosphorus pentoxide (P 2 5 ) 22 

Chlorine (CI) 1.77 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 57.95 

100. 15 

In places the Satilla terrace is separated from the Recent terrace 
by bluffs 10 to 15 feet high, and at other localities the two merge into 
each other. 

The Recent alluvium along the Coastal Plain streams consists 
mainly of sand, although along the lower courses of Altamaha and 
Savannah rivers some clays are being deposited. The deposits of 



112 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

this class are of small extent; along some of the streams the only 
Recent deposits are accumulations of sand in the form of bars. 

In the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia are numer- 
ous swamps ranging in size from a single acre to the immense tract 
known as Okefenokee Swamp. Peaty accumulations or decayed 
plant matter with more or less silt and sand are being formed in these 
swamps. In the Okefenokee Swamp accumulations of peat 4 feet 
thick have been observed. Some of the swamp areas are densely 
wooded and have been the roosting places of birds for perhaps cen- 
turies, and a phosphatic muck is being slowly formed from their dung 
and dead bodies. 

Sand deltas or plains of semialluvial character form another type 
of Recent deposits. In the northern, hilly part of the Coastal Plain 
erosion has been very active because of the loose, unconsolidated 
character of the formations; and at certain localities, especially where 
the forests have been cut away, deep gullies have been formed. Every 
torrential rain moves large quantities of sand which, on account of 
overloading, is deposited along the beds of the small creeks, forming 
so-called "sand streams/' or is spread out at the mouths of gullies, 
forming small subaerial deltas. The best example of this type is at 
the huge gullies or " caves" west or Lumpkin, Stewart County. 

SURFICIAL GRAY SANDS OF THE UPLAND. 

Surficial grayish or brownish, incoherent quartz sands cover large 
portions of the interstream uplands of the Coastal Plain of Georgia at 
elevations higher than the Pleistocene terrace plains. Because of the 
sterility of the soils which these sands produce and their influence on 
the topography and tree growth, they attract the attention even of 
those not interested in geology. The sands are not everywhere of the 
same origin. Much of the sand is residual and can not be referred to 
any one geologic period or formation. However, in places there are 
wind-blown accumulations, and at long intervals marks of stratification 
can be detected. In this report no attempt has been made to sub- 
divide or to map these sands; a part of such mapping, indeed, would 
fall within the province of a soil survey. 

The gray sands are of particular importance owing to their efficacy 
in checking rapid run-off and in absorbing rainfall and by this means 
increasing the underground-water supplies. They consist chiefly of 
crystalline quartz and nowhere contain sufficient clay to render them 
coherent. A number of samples were examined microscopically and 
were found to contain, in addition to the quartz grains, small per- 
centages of clay, some limonite and allied iron-oxide minerals, and 
very small amounts of minerals such as mica, magnetite, ilmenite, 
feldspar, and rutile that are common to igneous rocks. The clay 
content rarely exceeds 3 per cent; the limonite occurs as a coating 



GEOLOGY. 113 

over the quartz grains and in places gives the sand a yellowish or 
brownish appearance. 

On the whole, the gray sands are uniformly fine in texture. Sands 
from several localities each passed 40 to 60 per cent through a 40- 
mesh sieve, their texture at any particular locality depending on the 
character of the formations from which they were derived. In all of 
the more notable deposits the quartz grains are for the most part 
subangular. In color the sands are dull gray or white at the surface, 
but at varying depths they become yellowish or darker, and the 
darker basal sands grade downward into the underlying unweathered, 
argillaceous, sandy formations. Pebbles are not common, though 
small well-rounded to angular quartz pebbles, and small brown or 
black iron-oxide nodules were observed at several localities. Not- 
withstanding the diverse origin and the slight differences that have 
been noted from place to place, the sands are in the main uniform in 
texture, color, and composition. 

In thickness the gray sands range from a few inches to a maximum 
of 30 feet. Their greatest thickness where apparently residual occurs 
at the sand pits near Howard, Taylor County, the maximum being 30 
feet. At other localities along the fall line 10 to 25 feet of sand has 
been observed, but over much of the sand-hill region the thickness 
does not exceed 5 to 6 feet. Over the Alum Bluff formation and later 
Oligocene beds the average depth of the sands where residual is 
probably 2 to 4 feet, but there are local accumulations of torrential 
or eolian origin that reach 10 to 25 feet. In the western part of the 
Coastal Plain, principally in the part underlain by the Vicksburg forma- 
tion, and in scattered smaller areas in other parts of the upland region, 
the gray sands are either absent or very thin. 

The surflcial sands are present as a thin mantle over parts of the 
upland region from the fall line on the north to the Florida State 
line on the south. To the southeast, within 50 or 75 miles of the 
Atlantic coast, they merge into the lithologically similar sands which 
cover the Okefenokee terrace plain. The sands are unequally 
distributed over the upland and are notably absent from certain 
areas. Their most conspicuous development is in the region of the 
fall line, chiefly over the area underlain by Lower Cretaceous strata; 
they are also well developed over the region underlain by the Alum 
Bluff formation and later Oligocene beds in the eastern and south- 
eastern parts of the Coastal Plain. Among upland areas, where the 
sands are nearly or entirely absent, are certain areas in Burke, Wash- 
ington, Wilkinson, and Twiggs counties which are underlain by red 
ferruginous sands of the Claiborne formation; Rich Hill, Crawford 
County; the upland plain in the vicinity of Fort Valley and the "red 
lands" in the vicinity of Grovania, Henderson, and Elko, in Houston 
38418°— wsp 341—15 8 



114 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

County; the northern part of Dooly County; areas near Americus 
and in the southern part of Sumter County; large parts of Randolph, 
Terrell, Dougherty, and other counties west of Flint River; and areas 
in the southern parts of Grady, Thomas, and Brooks counties. 

The sands, notwithstanding their relatively insignificant thickness, 
have had a very marked influence upon the topography, vegetation, 
and agricultural development of the country. The "sand hills" con- 
stitute a well-known type of topography in the region of the fall line 
and throughout the area underlain by the Alum Bluff formation and 
later Oligocene beds, popularly known as the " wire-grass" region. 
In the latter region conspicuous accumulations of sand 10 to 30 feet 
thick occur along the streams and particularly along those streams 
having general north-south courses. It has been commonly noted 
by the people living in this region that these accumulations are greater 
on the east or left sides of the streams. Numerous exceptions to this 
may be found in the Coastal Plain region as a whole, but it is prevail- 
ingly true over the " wire-grass" region. The hills perhaps antedate 
the present streams. The most notable examples of this type of 
sand hills are on the eastern side of Ohoopee River at Reidsville, 
on Canoochee River at Stillmore, on Little Ocmulgee River 2 miles 
east of Helena, at Lumber City, east of Oconee River at Dublin, and 
on the north side of Satilla River north of Way cross. These hills are 
well above the level of the streams and the sand is not to be confused 
with the alluvial sands of lower levels. The vegetable growth over 
the sand hills is sparse, consisting mainly of scattered long-leaf pine 
and stunted oak, and the soil is poor and unproductive. 

In the few references made by McGee 1 to the gray surficial sands 
he referred them to the "interfluvial phase of the Columbia." 
Spencer, 2 McCallie, 3 and Otto Veatch i have referred to them in a 
general way as "Columbia sand." R. M. Harper 5 has given interest- 
ing descriptions of the sands at a number of localities, discussing them 
with reference to their influence on the flora of the Coastal Plain. 

It is reasonably certain that much of the surficial sand is residual 
from Cretaceous and Tertiary formations, and hence should not be 
classed as a formation, using this word in a stratigraphic sense. The 
residual sands vary from 1 to 10 feet in thickness. On the slopes 
at many places there are accumulations of sands transported by 
ram water from higher to lower levels, and some of these appear to 
rest unconformably upon the underlying strata, this relation being 
especially apparent where pebbles are present at the base. Such 

i The Lafayette formation: U. S. Geol. Survey Twelfth Ann. Rept., pt. 1, pp. 388, 389, 1891. 

2 Spencer, J. W., Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, pp. 61-71, 1891. 

3 McCallie, S. W., Underground waters of Georgia: Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 29, 1908. 
* Clay deposits of Georgia: Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 18, p. 68, 1909. 

5 A phytogeographical sketch of the Altamaha grit region of Georgia: New York Acad. Sci. Annals, vol. 
17, pt. 1, 1906. 



WATEK SUPPLY. 115 

deposits may show a thickness of 5 to 15 feet whereas the residual 
sands on the tops of the hills may not be more than 2 feet. Accumu- 
lations of this nature are properly colluvial deposits. The winds 
may in places have shifted and redeposited the residual sands, but 
do not appear to have been the cause of many large deposits. 

The formations from which the residual surficial sands are derived 
are themselves composed chiefly of quartz sand with small percentages 
of disseminated clay. In the process of weathering the clays are 
carried away in suspension by rainfall, and the quartz grains and 
small amounts of other minerals, such as mica and iron oxides, are 
left. Wherever the formations underlying the surface are very cal- 
careous, argillaceous, or ferruginous, the gray surficial sands are 
absent. 

The origin of the accumulations of sand along Canoochee, Ohoopee, 
Little Ocmulgee, and Satilla rivers, and along other streams through- 
out the Altamaha upland or wire-grass country has not been deter- 
mined with certainty. These accumulations appear to be at higher 
elevations than the fmviatile terrace deposits of the Okefenokee 
formation. Locally, they exhibit faint stratification and in places 
seem to be sharply separated from the underlying older formations. 
These facts, together with their peculiar distribution and relatively 
great thickness, are evidence of their nonresidual character. Their 
high elevation precludes the possibility of their having been deposited 
by existing streams. It is suggested that they may have been heaped 
up as the result of combined wave and wind action along the shores 
of early Pleistocene estuaries, or they may have been deposited as 
alluvium by the rivers occupying the valleys in early Pleistocene 
time. 

One well-known sand deposit— the sand hills on the east side of 
Flint River at Albany— clearly owes its present form to wind deposi- 
tion, whatever may have been the primary origin of the sand. 

There is some evidence of the existence of a sand-covered Pleisto- 
cene terrace plain higher and older than the Okefenokee plain and 
perhaps similar in origin, but as yet sufficient proof of its existence 
has not been obtained to warrant positive statements. Such a plain, 
if it exists, includes a part of the gray surficial sands here treated 
under the head of upland sands. (See p. 103.) 

WATER SUPPLY. 

SOURCE AND AMOUNT. 

The primary source of water supply is rainfall. The average annual 
rainfall ranges from 43 to 55 inches in different parts of the Coastal 
Plain of Georgia, as shown by the following record of observations by 
the United States Weather Bureau to the year 1908: 



116 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Mean annual rainfall in the Coastal Plain of Georgia to 1908. 



Locality. 


Rainfall. 


Locality. 


Rainfall. 


Locality. 


Rainfall. 




Inches. 
46.09 
49.28 
47.57 
49.85 
48.84 
46.94 
49.90 
55.23 
53.35 
49.63 
52.12 
50.70 
47.33 
46.93 




Inches. 
43.72 
49.37 
55.51 
51.13 
47.68 
48.63 
44.71 
51.03 
46.41 
49. SI 
47.51 
50.91 
47.77 


Millen 


Inches. 
45.25 






Morgan 


52.17 






Piscola 


51.40 






Poulan 


51.14 








49-. 39 








52.48 




Hephzibah 


St. Marys 


52.57 


Blakely 






50.06 








49.48 






Talbotton 


52.62 


Butler 






53.01 








47.79 


Dublin... 






44.99 















If an average of 49 inches is assumed, the annual rainfall is equiv- 
alent to the enormous amount of 852,000,000 gallons per square mile. 

DISPOSITION. 

A portion of the rainfall escapes as direct surface run-off, supplying 
in part the waters of creeks and rivers; a portion is taken up by 
evaporation and by vegetation; a small portion enters into chemical 
combination and is locked up in minerals, and the remainder is held 
by the earth for a shorter or longer time as the underground-water 
supply. 

RUN-OFF. 

The amount of water which flows from any particular land area by 
streams depends mainly on the topography, the character of the geo- 
logic formations, the vegetation, the nature of the precipitation 
(whether slow or torrential), and to an appreciable extent on artificial 
structures such as buildings, pavements, and roads. 

To illustrate the influence of topography two extremely different 
topographic regions of the State, the Blue Ridge and the flat low- 
lands of the Coastal Plain bordering the Atlantic Ocean, may be 
taken. In the first the creeks rise rapidly and turbulently, even after 
a single shower, attesting to the heavy run-off or flood flow; whereas 
hi the coastal flats the creeks and rivers rise above their banks only 
after prolonged rains. 

Other factors being equal, the direct run-off will be greater in a 
region underlain by clay or shale than in one underlain by sand or 
sandstone, because the former materials absorb water much less 
readily than the latter. 

Vegetation is undoubtedly a factor, for in a forest area roots of 
trees and vegetable mold prevent rapid run-off. Leaves and branches 
of trees convert rain into spray and lessen its impact, thereby becom- 
ing a factor in increasing the amount of rainfall absorbed by the soil. 



WATER SUPPLY. 117 

Tlie breaking up of the soil by cultivation renders it more porous 
and increases absorption and decreases run-off. 

Streams derive their waters in part from direct run-off or flood- 
flow and in part from springs. According to estimates by the 
United States Geological Survey approximately two-fifths (40 per 
cent) of the total rainfall of the Coastal Plain of Georgia reaches the 
ocean in the form of run-off. The percentage of the direct run-off 
or flood flow to the total run-off is not known, but it probably does 
not exceed 10 or 15 per cent; in other words, the greater part of the 
run-off is drawn from the underground water and supplied to the 
streams through springs. The bulk of the underground waters con- 
sists, therefore, of waters temporarily checked in their passage to 
the sea. 

EVAPORATION. 

Evaporation takes place mainly from the soil, from running water, 
and from lakes and ponds. A comparatively small although not 
negligible amount of water is evaporated before entering the earth; 
this includes not only the water evaporated from the surface of the 
ground, but that which is caught by leaves and branches of trees, by 
roofs of buildings, and by other artificial structures. The amount 
of the rainfall evaporated depends mainly on climatic conditions; 
if in the Coastal Plain of Georgia 40 per cent of the total rainfall 
reaches the ocean as run-off and less than 1 per cent enters into 
chemical combination with minerals, then nearly 60 per cent is 
evaporated, either directly or indirectly. 

VEGETATION. 

In the aggregate vegetation takes up an enormous amount of water, 
which is eventually evaporated and so lost to the underground supply. 
Estimates have been made showing that only 70 per cent as much 
rainfall reaches the soil in a wooded area as in open fields, and meas- 
urements have been made showing that the amount of water at 
depths of 16 and 32 inches is appreciably greater in a bare than in a 
forested soil. 1 

CHEMICAL ABSORPTION. 

A small percentage of the waters absorbed by the earth enters into 
chemical combination with the rocks. For example, in the conver- 
sion of hematite (Fe 2 3 ) into limonite (2Fe 2 3 , 3H 2 0) 14.5 per cent 
of water is absorbed. 

Van Hise, 2 in a generalized statement, says that at least 99 per 
cent of. the water entering the earth returns in some form to the 
surface, and it is inferred that the remaining 1 per cent or less enters 
into combination with the rocks. 

1 U. S. Dept. Agr. Forestry Div. Bull. 7, p. — , 1893. 

2 Van Hise, C. R., A treatise on metamorphism: U. S. Geol.* Survey Mon. 47, p. 156, 1904. 



118 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
UNDERGROUND- WATER STORAGE. 

The amount of the rainfall absorbed by the soil and by the rocks 
in the Coastal Plain of Georgia is roughly estimated to be 90 or 95 per 
cent of the total, the climate, topography, character of the soil, and 
other factors being taken into consideration. If nearly 60 per cent 
of the rainfall is lost by evaporation, and 4 or 5 per cent escapes as 
direct run-off or flood flow, only about 35 per cent remains to form 
the underground-water supply. All of this, even, is not available 
for use on account of the great depths to which much of it descends 
and the fact that a large part of it is locked up in fine-grained compact 
strata which do not readily yield their waters to the wells tapping 
them. 

SURFACE WATERS. 
STREAMS. 

Surface streams of the Coastal Plain of Georgia are not extensively 
used as sources of municipal supplies except in a narrow area along 
the northern border, cheaper and more healthful waters being 
obtainable from deep wells. Augusta and Macon obtain their water 
supplies from Savannah and Ocmulgee rivers, respectively, these 
cities being located on the northern boundary of the Coastal Plain 
where it is not possible to obtain adequate supplies of artesian water 
unless the pumping plants are located several miles from the city 
limits. Columbus at present obtains its water supply in part from 
Chattahoochee River and in part from springs west of the river in 
Alabama. Milledgeville, the county seat of Baldwin County, is 
located on the fall line and obtains its municipal water supply from 
Fishing Creek. Perry, the county seat of Houston County, obtains 
its water supply from Big Indian Creek. 

In the southern and southeastern parts of the Coastal Plain the 
waters of the streams, except those of the four largest rivers, are dark 
in color, owing to their high content of organic matter, but are suitable 
for the use of domestic animals, and are superior to most artesian 
waters for producing steam. 

LAKES AND PONDS. 

The waters of the lakes and ponds of the Coastal Plain are not 
used extensively for any purpose. Many of the lakes are in the 
river swamps and are not only inaccessible but furnish stagnant, 
unwholesome waters. A few lakes in the lime-sink regions are clear 
and appear to be connected with underground streams. Ponds are 
numerous in some sections; some of them contain stagnant waters 
or waters high in their content of organic matter. Such waters are 
used to some extent for stock and boiler supply. 



WATER SUPPLY. 119 

UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
WATER TABLE. 

As water percolates downward from the surface it reaches a level 
where the soils, sediments, or rocks are saturated. This upper limit 
of saturationis known as the water table. The depth to this level differs 
from place to place according to the topography and the texture and 
porosity of the rocks and from time to time according to the rainfall. 
Shallow wells are generally sunk only a few feet below the water 
table; springs of the common type occur at points where the water 
table intercepts the surface. In the Coastal Plain the water table 
varies in position from the surface to 50 feet or more beneath it. 

Although the materials below the water table are all saturated, all 
of them do not yield their contained waters with equal readiness to 
the wells tapping them. In stratified rocks some beds aie extremely 
coarse and porous and allow waters to circulate freely through them; 
others are compact and relatively though not absolutely impervious. 
Between the two extremes are all gradations of porosity. (See also 
pp. 120-122.) 

QUALITY OF WATER. 

The portion of the rainfall which is absorbed by the earth per- 
colates through the soils, sediments, and rocks, and takes into solution 
greater or less amounts of the soluble salts with which it comes into 
contact. All underground waters are therefore in a sense " mineral 
waters," although the term is frequently used for waters having 
medicinal properties due to certain mineral constituents held in 
solution. 

The amount and nature of the mineral constituents in underground 
water depends on a number of variable factors, but mainly on the 
character of the rock strata through which it has circulated. 

In addition to inorganic matter held in solution underground 
waters may also carry in suspension mineral matter such as clay, fine 
mica, and precipitates of iron oxide. Shallow-well waters and spring 
waters are more likely to contain sediments than deep- well waters. 

Organic matter may be present, especially in the waters of shallow 
wells unprotected from surface drainage or located in low swampy 
places and in springs located in swamps or unprotected from falling 
leaves, twigs, and other refuse. Vegetable matter may also be present 
in the waters of deep wells which, although protected from surface 
contamination, penetrate beds containing lignite; organic matter 
from this source, however, is comparatively rare and is not injurious 
to the health. 

A detailed discussion of the quality of the waters of the State, by 
R. B. Dole, is given on pages 470-532. 



120 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



ARTESIAN WATERS. 

DEFINITION. 



The term "artesian," as here used and as adopted by the United 
States Geological Survey, 1 applies to wells the waters of which are 
under hydrostatic pressure and rise above the level at which they are 
encountered, but which do not necessarily rise to or above the surface 
of the ground. The term may therefore be applied to either flowing 
or nonflowing wells. By many persons the term " artesian well" is 
understood to mean a well which flows at the surface, but the definition 
just given is preferable, because it is based on hydrostatic pressure, 
and because wells tapping the same water-bearing stratum may be 
either flowing or nonflowing according to the elevation of the surface 
of the ground at their respective sites. 

IMPORTANCE. 

Artesian water is of vital interest to the people inhabiting the 
Coastal Plain of Georgia, for without artesian wells many of the small 
towns and communities would be without adequate healthful sup- 
plies. All the cities, except those located near the fall line, and all 
the more progressive towns and villages obtain their public water 
supplies from artesian wells. Wells are continually being drilled on 
plantations, and they afford waters suitable for drinking and for most 
ordinary purposes. Such waters might be used, particularly where 
flows can be obtained, for irrigation, although this has been attempted 
on only a small scale. An account of the large returns from 14 acres 
of land in Dougherty County irrigated from an artesian well is given 
on page 239. 

CONTROLLING CONDITIONS. 

The following requisite conditions for artesian wells were enumer- 
ated by Chamberlin 2 in 1885: 

A pervious stratum to permit the entrance and the passage of the water. 

A water-tight bed below to prevent the escape of the water downward. 

A like impervious bed above to prevent escape upward, for the water, being under 
pressure from the fountain head, would otherwise find relief in that direction. 

An inclination of these beds, so that the edge at which the waters enter ^11 be higher 
than the surface at the well. 

A suitable exposure of the edge of the porous stratum, so that it may take in a suffi- 
cient supply of water. 

An adequate rainfall to furnish this supply. 

An absence of any escape for the water at a lower level than the surface at the well. 

This enumeration has met with general recognition and adoption, 
but in the extensive investigations of underground water carried on 

1 Fuller, M. L., Significance of the term "artesian": IT. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 160, pp. 
7-15, 1906. 

2 Chamberlin, T. C, The requisite and qualifying conditions of artesian wells: U. S. Geol. Survey 
Fifth Ann. Rept., pp. 134-135, 1S85. 



WATER SUPPLY. 121 

since its publication many exceptional conditions have been found, 
to meet which Fuller 1 has formulated the following essentials : 

An adequate source of supply. 

A retaining agent offering more resistance to the passage of water than the well or 
other opening. 
An adequate source of pressure. 

He has also classified the secondary factors as follows: 

Hydrostatic factors (relating to pressure and movement) : 
Factors mainly affecting pressure: 

Barometric pressure. 

Temperature. 

Density. 
Factors mainly affecting movement: 

Porosity. 

Size of pores or openings. 

Temperature. 

Rock pressure. 
Geologic factors (relating to reservoir) : 
Character of reservoir. 
Retaining agents. 
Structure of reservoir. 
Topographic conditions. 
Conditions relating to supply: 

Catchment conditions. 

Conditions of underground feed. 
Conditions of leakage. 

CONDITIONS IN THE COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The general structure of the Coastal Plain of Georgia may be 
understood by referring to the geologic map (PL III, p. 52) and to the 
sections (PL IV, p. 52). The older formations outcrop along the 
inner margin -of the Coastal Plain parallel to the fall line, and the 
strata composing them dip south and southeast and pass beneath 
the younger formations. In going from the fall line to the coast 
one passes over the outcropping edges of successively younger for- 
mations, each of which inclines slightly in the direction of the sea. 
Since these formations consist predominantly of sands and porous 
or cavernous limestones interbedded with subordinate layers of clay, 
which serve as confining agents, the conditions are favorable for the 
development of artesian pressure. 

The more important conditions which give rise to artesian pressure 
in the underground waters of the Coastal Plain of Georgia are illus- 
trated in figure 3. Layer a is a bed of porous sand underlain by 
crystalline rocks and overlain by clay, both relatively impervious, 
and cut off down the dip by an unconformity. Water enters the 
bed in the catchment area and passes down the dip through the 
porous sand to the point where the bed is cut off; the weight of the 

i Fuller, M. L., The controlling factors of artesian flows: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 319, pp. 36, 37, 1908. 



122 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



water in the higher part of the layer produces hydrostatic pressure 
in the water confined in the lower part. Layer & is a bed of porous 
sand confined above and below by relatively impervious clay and 
pinching out down the dip between the beds of clay; hydrostatic 
pressure is produced in the same manner as in layer a. Layer c 
presents the same conditions except that the downward circulation of 
the water is prevented by the merging of the porous sand down the 
dip into relatively impervious clay. Layer d is a cavernous, water- 
bearing limestone confined above and below by relatively imper- 
vious layers and becoming noncavernous and compact down the dip. 
Layer e is a bed of porous sand in which the only hindrance to the 
passage of the water down the dip is friction, which causes a certain 
amount of hydrostatic pressure to be developed. 

When a well is drilled to a bed containing water under hydrostatic 
pressure the water immediately rises within the well to the level at 
which the pressure is compensated, or, if this level is higher than the 




Figtjke 3. — Section illustrating the more important conditions governing artesian pressure in the Coastal 
Plain of Georgia, a, A pervious water-bearing bed cut off down the dip by an unconformity; 6, a per- 
vious water-bearing bed pinching out down the dip between two relatively impervious strata; c, a per- 
vious water-bearing bed merging down the dip into relatively impervious materials; d, cavernous water- 
bearing limestones becoming noncavernous and compact down the dip and underlain and overlain by 
relatively impervious strata; e, a pervious water-bearing bed in which artesian pressure is produced by 
friction; v, w, x, y, z, catchment areas of the water-bearing beds a, b, c, d, e, respectively. 

mouth of the well, till it overflows at the surface. The highest 
level to which artesian water will rise at any place is known as its 
static head at that place. 

Geologic conditions are suitable for the storage of large quantities 
of pure artesian water at depths of 50 to 1,500 feet or more in all 
parts of the Coastal Plain of Georgia except in a very small area along 
the fall line. In this respect the Coastal Plain has a great advantage 
over the rest of the State. 

The depths of wells in various parts of the Coastal Plain and the 
areas where artesian flows may be expected are shown on the map 
(PI. XVIII). 

NONARTESIAN WATERS. 

In the Coastal Plain of Georgia most underground waters lying 
less than 50 to 100 feet below the surface exhibit no hydrostatic 
pressure and are therefore, by the definition, excluded from the class 




MAP SHOWING rx,»KH«,Korxn WATEB RESOURCES OF rHE COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA 

■ it.u ill!'. IMI.Ii [ln\, ill i' u ivi htk .. . it- ■ii.i'in,\. 1 . 1 ... . .-.^., ,-. 



'' ,l tlm '"'' T - "'"'USD VAUGUAN » L »'■ STEPHESSOH urc otto VKATC'H 



122 d 

water b 

in the v» 
sand co 
pinchin; 
pressur< 
present; 
the wa1 
clip int< 
bearing 
vious li 
Layer 
passagi 
amoun 
Whe 
pressu 
which 



Figure 
Plain 
vious 
vious 
bear it 
relatr 
frictic 

mcml 
level 
stati 
Gc 
of p 
part 
the: 
ovei 

t: 

area 
(PL 



I 
less 
pre 



WATER SUPPLY. 123 

of artesian waters. Such, waters are drawn upon by the majority 
of dug or driven wells. 

USE OF UNDERGROUND WATERS IN THE COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



In the Coastal Plain of Georgia springs furnish, a considerable part 
of the domestic water supply on farms, but they are not so numerous 
nor so extensively used as in the other parts of the State. Lumpkin, 
Stewart County; Buena Vista, Marion County; Americus, Sumter 
County; and Columbus, Muscogee County, are the only towns which 
derive their public water supplies in whole or in part from springs. 

A number of limestone springs in the region yield sufficient quanti- 
ties of water to supply cities but have remained practically unused, 
chiefly on account of their location. Large limestone springs occur 
in Dougherty, Decatur, Worth, Baker, Webster, Crisp, Wilcox, 
Brooks, Laurens, Washington, Jefferson, Burke, Jenkins, and 
Screven counties. 

SHALLOW WELLS. 

The principal source of water supply in the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia is, at present, wells of the dug, bored, and driven types, 
ranging in depth from 10 to 100 feet. Such wells are constructed at 
small cost, for they penetrate mainly unconsolidated sands and 
clays with only subordinate amounts of hard rock. Commonly 
they yield sufficient water to meet ordinary household needs, but 
some of them fail in times of drought. Along the coast, however, 
such, failure is unusual. 

Waters obtained from shallow wells are generally soft and where 
proper precautions against surface contamination have been taken are 
suitable for domestic use. 

ARTESIAN WELLS. 

Probably between 700 and 800 artesian wells are now in use in the 
Coastal Plain of Georgia. They constitute the public water supplies 
in many towns and cities and are numerous in villages and rural 
districts. New wells are constantly being added to the number 
already in use, and the future will doubtless witness still more 
rapid development; indeed artesian wells will probably become 
the chief source of water supply. 

There is no present evidence that the available supply of artesian 
water is decreasing in amount, but it is not improbable that, locally, 
the demand will in the course of time become so great as to materially 
lower the water table. In and adjacent to the centers of popula- 
tion the needless waste of artesian waters should therefore not be 
permitted. 



124 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Most of the artesian wells now in use range in depth from 100 
to 1,000 feet and are drilled at a cost of $1 to $5 per foot, the price 
depending on local conditions such as the nature of the strata en- 
countered in drilling, the depth, and other factors. 

The distribution and depths of wells already drilled and the areas 
of probable artesian flows are shown on the map (PI. XVIII). De- 
tailed information is given in the table at the end of each county 
description. 

STRATIGRAPHIO DISTRIBUTION OF UNDERGROUND WATERS. 
WATER IN CRETACEOUS SYSTEM. 

All the Cretaceous formations of Georgia contain water-bearing 
beds, but differences in texture and degree of compactness and in 
mineral composition render certain of them more favorable than others 
as sources of artesian supplies. 

LOWER CRETACEOUS SERIES. 

The Lower Cretaceous deposits contain abundant supplies of excel- 
lent water suitable for both domestic and industrial purposes. The 
numerous beds of coarse-grained sand favor the admittance of large 
quantities of water into the deposits, and as the beds do not outcrop 
to the southward the waters thus admitted can not readily escape 
and are kept in storage. On account of the porosity of many of the 
beds of sand the waters are yielded freely to the wells tapping them. 

Along the northern border of the Coastal Plain adjacent to the 
Piedmont Plateau relatively thin Lower Cretaceous deposits 
overlap the crystalline rocks. Active stream erosion has greatly 
dissected the deposits, producing conditions that favor rapid drainage 
from the beds, and the quantity of water carried is therefore small. 
Wells located near this inner margin will generally yield water in 
sufficient quantities for ordinary domestic purposes but will quickly 
cease to yield if subjected to heavy pumping. 

Away from the Piedmont-Coastal Plain border (fall line) the 
capacity of the deposits for carrying water increases rapidly coast- 
ward, owing to the rapid thickening of the deposits in that direction. 
An idea of this increased capacity may be gained from the account 
of the test wells drilled 3 miles southeast of the fall line at Columbus, 
Muscogee County. (See pp. 351-354.) Six miles or more south of the 
fall line the deposits will probably yield sufficient water to meet all 
demands for years to come. 

There is, therefore, a strip of country several miles wide along 
the inner margin of the Coastal Plain in which the feasibility of 
obtaining large quantities of water for supplying the larger towns and 
cities from underground sources is doubtful until established by 



WATER SUPPLY. • 125 

actual test. To the south of this belt is another belt, 15 or 20 miles 
in width, in which practically inexhaustible supplies may be obtained 
from the Lower Cretaceous deposits by drilling to depths depending 
on the location of the well. On account of the inclination of the 
strata the deposits reach greater depths southward, and wells 
at the outer limits of the belt would have to penetrate 1,000 to 
1,500 feet or more of overlying strata before reaching the water- 
bearing beds. 

The predominance of quartz sand, clay, and kaolin as constituents 
of the formation, and the almost total absence of lime and iron 
pyrites, render the waters in general soft and low in dissolved mineral 
matter, especially at moderate distances from the catchment area 
(belt of outcrop). 

UPPER CRETACEOUS SERIES. 

Eutaw formation. — The irregularly bedded, loose sands which make 
up a considerable part of the Eutaw formation are important aquifers. 
The massive beds of compact sand and clay which occur in the basal 
part of the formation and the compact materials composing the 
Tombigbee sand member in the upper part are relatively impervious 
to water and are therefore unimportant as water bearers. Along the 
northern edge of the belt of outcrop the formation is thin and carries 
only moderate amounts of water. Farther southward the formation 
thickens and the quantity of the contained waters increases. From 
the southern edge of the outcrop southward beneath the overlying 
Ripley formation the terrane is an important source of artesian supply, 
and it may be regarded as a possible source of potable water for 5 to 
20 miles. It passes to greater depths southward, and at 20 miles it 
lies 500 to 1,000 feet beneath the surface. The artesian wells on the 
Bradley plantation, 5 miles north of Omaha, in Stewart County, tap 
water-bearing beds in this formation. (See p. 387.) 

On account of the presence of lime, glauconite, and iron pyrites in 
many of the beds composing this formation, the contained waters are 
apt to be more highly mineralized than the waters obtained from the 
Lower Cretaceous deposits; but within the geographic limits men- 
tioned the mineral content will generally be too small to render the 
waters unsuitable for domestic or for most industrial purposes. 

Ripley formation. — The strata composing the Ripley formation are 
in part efficient and in part inefficient water bearers. The typical 
marine beds are, as a rule, either too compact to permit the free 
circulation of the waters, or, if sufficiently loose and porous, contain 
large percentages of lime and iron sulphide (pyrites or marcasite), 
which tend to render the waters hard and ferruginous and unsuitable 
for domestic and industrial purposes. That there are exceptions to 
this rule., however, has been proved by practical tests, for at Euf aula, 



126 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Barbour County, Ala., at Fort Gaines, Clay County, Ga., and near 
Fort Gaines in Henry County, Ala., the marine beds have yielded 
sufficient water of satisfactory quality for domestic and for some 
industrial uses. 

The irregularly bedded shallow-water phases of the formation, 
which have been classified in part as the Cusseta sand member and in 
part as the Providence sand member, are favorable in both composi- 
tion and texture to the storage of waters. Some waters derived from 
these beds are more or less ferruginous and sulphurous, but most of 
them are only moderately mineralized. 

In Stewart, Marion, Schley, and Macon counties the Cusseta sand 
member dips southeast beneath the typical marine strata of the for- 
mation and passes to greater depths. For 15 or 20 miles or perhaps 
farther beyond the outcrop the buried representatives of the member 
may be regarded as a practicable source of water. The water-bearing 
beds of the Cusseta member would be reached along the southern 
border of the outcrop at depths of 100 to 300 feet, and at increasingly 
greater depths southward, until at 20 miles it would probably be nec- 
essary to drill 600 to 800 feet or more. 

The Providence sand member of the formation is uncQnformably 
overlain by strata of Eocene age. Just how far to the southeast 
beneath the Eocene strata the member maintains its distinguishing 
shallow-water character is not known, but it probably does so for 
not less than 10 or 15 miles, within which distance it may be every- 
where regarded as a probable source of good artesian waters. Within 
the suggested limits the beds should be reached at depths of 100 to 
400 feet beneath the surface. 

East of Macon County, in Houston and Twiggs counties, the Provi- 
dence member directly overlies the Cusseta member and the two 
members together make up the entire thickness of the Ripley forma- 
tion, probably 800 to 1,000 feet. As both of these members are water 
bearing and as the Lower Cretaceous deposits which directly underlie 
them are also water bearing, there should be little difficulty in obtain- 
ing ample supplies of excellent water in this region. 

Little is known of the physical character of the southward extension 
of the Ripley formation beneath the overlying Eocene. That the 
terrane contains waters suitable for domestic and for many industrial 
purposes, at least as far south as Dougherty and Early counties, has 
been proved by practical tests. In wells at Albany, Dougherty 
County, water-bearing beds are tapped in the Ripley formation at 
depths of 660 to 710 feet, 840 to 900 feet, and 1,310 to 1,320 feet. 
In a well at Blakely, Early County, water-bearing beds were reached 
at 570 and 812 feet, the lower bed furnishing the municipal water 
supply. 



WATER SUPPLY. 127 

WATER IN TERTIARY SYSTEM. 

EOCENE SERIES. 

Midway formation. — The Midway formation consists of 200 to 400 
feet of sedimentary deposits, mainly of marine origin, including sands, 
clays, marls, and limestones. The lithologic character of the forma- 
tion is favorable for the absorption and circulation of water, and as 
the strata dip continuously southward the terrane is an important 
aquifer. 

The belt of outcrop of the Midway formation is 8 to 15 miles wide, 
extending from Clay County northeastward into Macon and Houston 
counties. The elevation of the greater part of this belt above sea 
level is 400 to 550 feet, with somewhat lower elevations along the 
larger streams. The strata composing the formation dip southward 
at the rate of 20 or 30 feet to the mile, but probably become flatter 
under cover of the younger formations. The thickness probably also 
diminishes. The formation is believed to be the source of the water 
of deep wells in Sumter, Lee, Terrell, Randolph, Dougherty, and 
Calhoun counties, in which, south of the belt of outcrop, the top of the 
formation should be reached at 100 to 500 feet. As certain of the 
formations which overlie the Midway contain large quantities of 
water, it is not everywhere necessary to drill to the Midway. 

In the region east of Ocmulgee River no evidence of the presence of 
the formation has been found either in natural outcrops or in wells. 

The following wells probably tap water-bearing beds in this forma- 
tion: (1) At Shellman, Randolph County, a public well, depth 410 feet; 
(2) at Cuthbert, Randolph County, a well owned by the town, depth 
1,000 feet (depth to principal water-bearing bed 340 to 400 feet), 
and a well owned by the Cuthbert Ice Co., depth 435 feet; (3) near 
Ducker station, Dougherty County, the Fort well, depth 547 feet; 
(4) at Montezuma, Macon County, numerous wells less than 160 feet 
deep. 

The waters are generally suitable for domestic and for 'most indus- 
trial purposes. 

Wilcox formation. — The Wilcox formation is relatively thin. It 
outcrops in a narrow belt extending from Chattahoochee River to 
Flint River, chiefly in Clay, Randolph, Webster, and Sumter counties. 
So far as known it is not an important aquifer, although it is composed 
in part of beds of sand which probably carry waters in greater or lesser 
quantities. 

Claiborne group. — The Claiborne group has been subdivided into 
the McBean formation below and the Barnwell sand above. The 
McBean formation includes a lithologic phase which has been desig- 
nated the Congaree clay member. (See pp. 73-80.) The available 
data are insufficient for discriminating these divisions in wells south 



128 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

of the belt of outcrop, or whero they are buried by later overlying 
formations, and most of the water-bearing beds are referred to the 
Claiborne group as a whole instead of to one of its subdivisions. 

The Claiborne group outcrops in the northern part of the Coastal 
Plain of Georgia in an irregular belt 2 to 40 miles wide extending 
entirely across the State from Savannah River to Chattahoochee 
River. The widest part of the belt is between Savannah and Flint 
rivers, where the beds lap upon the Cretaceous deposits and hi places 
extend entirely to and rest directly upon the crystalline rocks of the 
Piedmont Plateau. The Claiborne appears at the surface over much 
of Richmond, Burke, Glascock, Jefferson, Washington, Wilkinson, 
Twiggs, and Houston counties. Between Flint and Chattahoochee 
rivers tlie belt of outcrop is narrow and the Claiborne does not overlap 
and conceal the older formations. 

The area of outcrop lies from 200 to 500 feet above sea level, from 
which elevation the strata of the Claiborne group dip southward 
beneath younger formations and probably extend to the coast. 
Little is known, however, concerning the thickness or character of 
the buried portion of the group. 

The group is an important aquifer over the area in which it lies 
at or near the surface, the water-bearing beds being tapped by both 
shallow nonartesian wells and by deep artesian wells. The flowing 
wells at Louisville, Wadley, Bartow, Midville, and other places are 
located on the Claiborne and derive their waters from this group, 
chiefly from the McBean formation, at depths of 150 to 350 feet. 
The base of the McBean formation east of Ocmulgee River consists 
of 50 to 100 feet of clay or fuller's earth (Congaree clay member), 
which is relatively impervious and carries very little water, but 
which is overlain by coarse unconsolidated water-bearing sands. 
Southward it merges into alternating beds of sandy marl, limestone, 
and sand. The Claiborne consists in the main of irregularly bedded 
sands, clays, and marls, and, as individual beds of definite lithologic 
character are not persistent, the rainfall percolates readily through 
the strata, notwithstanding the local beds of impervious clay. 

Flowing wells from this group may be expected along the lower 
lands bordering Oconee River in Laurens County, Ogeechee River in 
Jefferson, Burke, and Jenkins counties, and Briar Creek in Burke 
and Screven counties. At depths of not more than 500 feet the 
Claiborne should furnish large supplies in the northern parts of 
Laurens, Johnson, Emanuel, Jenkins, and Screven counties. 

Deep wells at Wrightsville, Swainsboro, Millen, Millhaven, and 
elsewhere east of Ocmulgee River probably obtain their supplies 
from this group. West of Ocmulgee River few wells are known to 
obtain their waters from the Claiborne group. 



WATER SUPPLY. 129 

The waters from the Claiborne group are generally suitable 
both for domestic and for most industrial purposes. None of those 
analyzed shows excessive total solids, the amount being generally 
less than 300 parts per million. The waters are hard, and some of 
them emit an unpleasant odor of hydrogen sulphide. 

Jackson formation. — The Jackson formation consists mainly of 
limestone, more or less sandy, having a maximum thickness of 150 
feet or less. It outcrops in a narrow belt chiefly in Sumter, Dooly, 
Houston, Twiggs, Wilkinson, and Laurens counties and is believed 
to underlie a large area to the south and southeast. Its more sandy 
portions and perhaps also some solution caverns in it contain artesian 
waters in large quantities and of suitable quality for domestic and for 
most industrial purposes. 

OLIGOCENE SERIES. 

Vicksburg formation. — The Vicksburg formation is an important 
aquifer. It consists mainly of porous limestones but also contains 
thin beds of clay and water-bearing sand. Throughout the area of 
outcrop the surface materials are residual argillaceous sands and 
sandy clays in which masses of flint are common and through which 
much water is admitted into the beds. The maximum thickness of 
the formation is believed to be about 300 feet. The area of outcrop 
ranges in elevation above sea level from about 125 to 450 feet. 

The catchment area of the formation (see PI. Ill, p. 52) is a belt 
5 to 35 miles wide, embracing about 1,500 square miles, and extending 
from the Oconee River valley in Laurens County to Chattahoochee 
River in the southwestern part of the State. Its widest part is in 
the southwest. The beds dip gently to the southeast and south and 
under cover of the later formations extend to the Atlantic coast and 
to Florida. 

The formation carries large quantities of water which throughout 
the area of outcrop can be obtained by drilling to depths of 100 to 
400 feet. At a few places the formation will yield flows. In drilling 
underground streams and cavities are frequently tapped and 
afford large supplies of water. Water is also obtained from layers 
of sand interbedded with the limestones. East of Flint River, in the 
wire-grass region or Altamaha upland, the water-bearing beds of the 
formation are tapped by many deep wells. The depth to the forma- 
tion in the region south and east of the outcrop varies from 50 or 100 
feet in the northwest to perhaps 500 or 600 feet near the Atlantic 
coast. However, in wells the formation can not be easily differen- 
tiated from the underlying Jackson formation, nor from the overlying 
Chattahoochee formation, both of which are also water bearing. 
38418°— wsp 341—15 9 



130 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The water has a low mineral content, is potable, and is used for 
general domestic purposes; the hardness is sufficient to render it 
somewhat objectionable in boilers and in laundries. 

If the area west of Flint River were to become thickly populated, 
there might be some danger of pollution, for surface waters doubtless 
gain access to the underground supply through the numerous lime 
sinks. 

Chattahoochee formation. — The Chattahoochee formation is com- 
posed mainly of soft porous limestone, but it also contains beds of 
calcareous clay and sandstone. The area of outcrop is relatively 
small, including a narrow belt east of Flint River in Decatur, Mitchell, 
Dougherty, Worth, and Crisp counties, isolated areas along the 
Florida line in Grady, Thomas, Brooks, Lowndes, and Echols counties, 
and small areas in the northeast in Screven, Jenkins, and Burke 
counties. The formation also probably outcrops along Ocmulgee 
River near Abbeville in Wilcox and Dodge counties. Although the 
area of outcrop is small, the formation is present throughout the greater 
part of south and southeast Georgia beneath the Alum Bluff forma- 
tion. The thickness of the terrane is estimated to be 100 to 150 feet. 
The limestones are in part porous and cavernous and throughout much 
of the region carry large quantities of water. As the catchment area 
is small much of the water probably enters the formation through 
lime sinks, although a considerable part of it may find its way by 
percolation through the overlying Alum Bluff formation. 

In the area outlined the formation lies at depths ranging from a few 
feet along its northwestern margin to estimated depths of 400 or 500 
feet along the coast. Over the greater part of the region its depth 
does not exceed 350 feet. The waters of deep artesian wells at Way- 
cross (?), Valdosta, Quitman, Boston, Thomasville, Adel, Lumber 
City, and Rockyford are believed to be obtained in whole or in part 
from this formation. 

The waters of the Chattahoochee are hard, and in places emit a 
strong odor of hydrogen sulphide, but they are potable and are suit- 
able for domestic and for most industrial purposes. Where lime sinks 
occur, as in Brooks, Lowndes, and Thomas counties, the danger of 
contamination from surface sources renders it desirable to sink wells 
to lower formations. 

Alum Bluff formation. — The Alum Bluff formation consists of sandy 
clays, in places resembling fuller's earth, and subordinate amounts of 
sand, sandstone, and marl or limestone. On account of its pre- 
dominantly argillaceous character the formation is not an important 
aquifer, although it contains local water-bearing beds. 

The outcrops of the strata are confined roughly to the area east of 
Flint River and south of Cordele, Dublin, Tennille, Midville, and 



WATER SUPPLY. 131 

Millen. In its distribution the formation corresponds approximately 
to the underlying Chattahoochee formation. The strata dip slightly 
southward. On the north their maximum elevation is 300 to 400 feet 
above sea level, and on the coast, in Mcintosh, Glynn, and Camden 
counties, they lie 100 feet or more below sea level. Throughout the 
greater part of its extent it is overlain by the undifferentiated Oligo- 
cene to Pleistocene deposits. 

In the area outlined, except in the coast counties, the formation lies 
at depths of not more than 100 or 150 feet, and at many places it is 
very near the surface. Although locally the formation furnishes large 
supplies of water its water content is in the main relatively small and 
at many places it is necessary to sink wells to the limestones of the 
underlying Chattahoochee, Vicksburg, or Jackson formations. In 
wells the deposits can not be sharply differentiated from the under- 
lying Chattahoochee formation. Near the Florida line, in Decatur, 
Grady, Thomas, Brooks, and Lowndes counties, the larger streams 
have cut their valleys entirely through the deposits, exposing the 
underlying limestones of the Chattahoochee formation, thus permit- 
ting the freer escape of the contained waters and lessening the chance 
of obtaining artesian supplies. In the southeastern part of the 
Coastal Plain conditions are more favorable for the presence of arte- 
sian waters in the deposits, and it is probable that many of the flowing 
wells in Mclntoch, Liberty, Glynn, and Camden counties derive their 
waters from this source. 

The waters from these deposits are potable and are as suitable for 
domestic and industrial purposes as those of the underlying forma- 
tions. Where large supplies happen to be found in them nothing will 
be gained by drilling deeper except where there is a probability of 
obtaining artesian flows. 

MIOCENE SERIES. 

Less definite information is at hand regarding the Mioceue of 
Georgia than concerning any other geologic division of the Coastal 
Plain of the State. However, it is believed that 200 or 300 feet of 
sands, clays, and marls of Miocene age exist along the coast and that 
these deposits constitute a very important artesian reservoir. (See 
pp. 97-100.) 

The Miocene deposits are almost entirely hidden by younger forma- 
tions, the area of outcrop being insignificant. The deposits probably 
nowhere extend more than 50 or 60 miles back from the ocean front, 
and they probably nowhere reach an elevation of 100 feet above sea 
level. It is believed that some of the artesian wells less than 150 or 
200 feet deep in Camden, Glynn, and Mcintosh counties, and on the 
sea islands of Liberty, Bryan, and Chatham counties, obtain their 
supplies from Miocene strata. 



132 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The few available analyses of Miocene waters show moderately 
hard waters, most of which emit rather strong odors of hydrogen sul- 
phide. The waters are used for both domestic and manufacturing 

purposes. 

PLIOCENE? SERIES. 

The Charlton formation (probably Pliocene), which outcrops along 
St. Marys River on the Florida side and adjacent to Charlton County, 
Ga., is believed to be relatively thin and of small geographic extent 
and is therefore considered unimportant as a source of water. 

UNDIFFERENTIATED OLIGOCENE TO PLEISTOCENE, INCLUSIVE. 

The surface material over the greater part of the region east of 
Flint River, in an area the northern limit of which is marked ap- 
proximately by a line connecting Unadilla, Hawkinsville, Dublin, 
Tennille, Wadley, Waynesboro, and Girard, although small isolated 
areas probably occur north of these towns and west of Flint River, 
consists of irregularly bedded sands, clays, and gravels, and contains 
water-bearing beds. However, as the deposits are relatively thin 
and are broadly distributed as a nearly horizontal sheet the contained 
waters are under little or no hydrostatic pressure and belong mainly 
to the nonartesian class. The deposits are overlain by a thin covering 
of gray sand, which is in the main residual but is in part of Pleistocene 
terrace origin. 

Most of the shallow wells in the area just outlined tap water-bearing 
beds, and numerous small springs issue at the contacts of local beds 
of clay and sand. The shallow wells yield sufficient quantities of 
water for farm and domestic use except in times of unusual drought; 
large, permanent supplies from these formations are not to be 
expected. 

The waters of the deposits are generally soft and are low in their 
content of dissolved mineral matter, and are wholesome where 
properly protected from surface contamination. Some seepage 
springs have been noted, the waters of which are sufficiently ferru- 
ginous to render them disagreeable to the taste. 

WATER IN QUATERNARY SYSTEM. 
PLEISTOCENE SERIES. 

The marine Pleistocene terrace deposits, which cover a large area 
bordering the Atlantic coast (PL III, p. 52), and the alluvial terrace 
deposits of Pleistocene age, which are present in small areas bor- 
dering the larger rivers of the Coastal Plain, contain nonartesian 
waters which are tapped by numerous shallow dug or driven wells. 
The water in these wells frequently stands within a foot or two of 
the surface. On account of the high content of organic matter in 



APPLING COUNTY. 133 

many of the waters from shallow sources and their liability to pol- 
lution they are not considered as suitable as artesian waters for 
domestic uses. 

The terrace deposits bordering the larger rivers are thin and do 
not yield large supplies. There are many shallow wells on the ter- 
races along Chattahoochee River, but little detailed information has 
been obtained concerning them. Along Ocmulgee, Altamaha, 
Oconee, and Savannah rivers the lowest terrace plain is swampy 
and is sparsely populated, and for this reason few wells have been 
sunk. There are shallow wells in Pleistocene terrace deposits at 
Macon, Hawkinsville, Lumber City, Dublin, and Augusta, but the 
waters of these wells should not be used for domestic purposes on 
account of the danger of pollution. 

COUNTY DESCRIPTIONS. 

APPLING COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Appling County is in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain. 
Baxley, the county seat, is on the main line of the Southern Railway, 
118 miles from Macon and 69 miles from Brunswick. The area of 
the county is 604 square miles and the population is 12,318 (census 
of 1910). Agriculture and the production of rough lumber and 
naval stores axe the principal industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is nearly level to gently rolling; the southern part lies 
within the Satilla drainage basin, the principal streams being Little 
Satilla River and Hurricane Creek. The divide between the Alta- 
maha and the Satilla drainage basins is a flat pine-woods country, 
which is traversed by the Southern Railway. Shallow cypress ponds 
from 100 to 200 feet in diameter and bays and upland swamps, many 
of them several hundred acres in extent, dot this plain. Big Pond, 
7 miles north of Baxley, has an area of 7 or 8 square miles. In the 
north, near Altamaha River, which forms the northern boundary, 
the land is rolling. In the west numerous creeks and branches flow 
sluggishly through shallow valleys. 

The known elevations above sea level along the Southern Railway 
are; Graham, 240; Pinegrove, 229; Baxley, 206; Wheaton, 201; 
Surrency, 187. The elevation of the swamp along Altamaha River, 
as estimated from elevations established on the river by the United 
States Corps of Engineers, is hardly more than 75 or 80 feet above 
sea level, and the elevation of the swamp of Little Satilla River, in 
the extreme southeast corner of the county, is about the same. 



134 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

GEOLOGY. 

Except for Pleistocene terrace deposits of sand and clay, laid down 
in narrow areas bordering Altamaha River, the surface materials 
throughout the greater part of the county consist of undifferentiated 
deposits of Oligocene and later age, comprising irregularly bedded 
sands and sandy clays, and interbedded layers of argillaceous sand- 
stone and quartzite. These surficial deposits are the source of the 
waters obtained in shallow wells. Beneath them throughout the 
entire county is the Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 100 feet 
or more of soft sandy clays and sands with interbedded thin layers of 
soft sandstone and quartzite, and which outcrops in the bluffs of 
Altamaha River. 

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by 400 feet or more of 
water-bearing limestones, which probably represent in descending 
order the Chattahoochee, Vicksburg, and Jackson formations, and 
which contain important water-bearing beds. Beneath the lime- 
stones, in descending order, is a series of sands, clays, and marls of 
Eocene and Cretaceous age, probably aggregating several thousand 
feet in thickness, which at an undeternnned depth rest upon a base- 
ment of ancient crystalline rocks. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The shallow wells of the county, both dug and driven, range in 
depth from 10 to 50 feet. These wells draw from the undifferentiated 
surficial deposits and afford abundant supplies of soft but not always 
wholesome water. The land is low and poorly drained, and in rainy 
periods the water stands very near the surface and has an unpleasant 
taste due to iron or to organic matter. Small seepage springs occur 
throughout the county. 

Information in regard to deep-seated water is very scanty. . How- 
ever, the prospects may be considered good for obtaining abundant 
supplies of potable water at depths of 150 to 1,000 feet or more. The 
Alum Bluff formation probably contains water-bearing sands at 
depths of 150 to 250 feet or more, and the upper part of porous 
water-bearing limestones referred to the Chattahoochee, Vicksburg, 
and Jackson formations should be reached at depths of 350 or 400 
feet. Flowing wells probably can not be obtained in the county, 
except, possibly, on a small area of lowland bordering Altamaha 
River. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Baxley (population 831, census of 1910). — The town of Baxley 
owns an artesian well which supplies the greater part of the popula- 
tion with water for domestic use. The well, which was drilled in 



BAKER COUNTY. 135 

1895, was originally 461 feet deep, but has since become partly filled 
with sand, and is now only 204 feet deep. The water, which is prob- 
ably derived from Alum Bluff strata at a depth of about 200 feet, 
rises to within about 80 feet of the surface, and is clear, potable, and 
soft, differing in the latter respect from most of the deep-well waters 
of this part of the Coastal Plain. The water is notable for its high 
content of silica and for the appreciable amount of phosphorus 
which it contains, but is suitable for domestic purposes, so far as can 
be determined from a mineral analysis. The following analysis of a 
sample of the water was made by Edgar Everhart: 1 

Analysis of water from 204-foot town well at Baxley. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 97 

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe 2 3 + A1 2 3 ) 17 

Calcium (Ca) 3. 9 

Magnesium (Mg) 7 

Sodium (Na) - 13 

Potassium (K) 4. 4 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 27 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) ~. - 1. 6 

Chlorine (CI) 12 

Phosphate radicle (P0 4 ) 5. 4 

Total dissolved solids 169 

Free carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) " 31 

New Lacey. — An oil-prospecting well, reported to be 440 feet deep, 
has been drilled on the John Aldredge farm, a mile southeast of New 
Lacey. Water rises to within 50 feet of the surface. 

BAKER COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Baker County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain be- 
tween Flint and Chattahoochee rivers. Its area is 357 square miles 
and its population 7,973 (census of 1910). The county contains no 
large towns or manufacturing establishments. Agriculture, lumber- 
ing, and the production of turpentine and resin are the chief indus- 
tries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is mainly a nearly level plain. Although but few 
determinations of altitude have been made the surface is known to 
range in elevation above sea level from about 125 or 150 feet in the 
southeast to about 200 feet in the north. Lime sinks, small, shallow 
cypress ponds occupying lime sinks, small, open lakes or ponds, and 
broad creek swamps characterize the topography. The drainage of 

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 51, 1908. 



136 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

the county is chiefly by subterranean streams through lime sinks, 
small surface streams being rare. Flint River forms the eastern 
boundary of the county. Two Pleistocene terraces — an alluvial plain 
about 15 feet above the river and a higher sand-covered terrace 40 
to 50 feet above the same datum — border the river. The tributaries 
of Flint River, Ichawaynochaway, Chickasawhatch.ee, and Coolewa- 
hee creeks, which flow southward through the county, have very 
shallow valleys and very low banks and in places spread out so 
widely in swamps that it is difficult to recognize their main channels. 

GEOLOGY. 

The county is directly underlain by the Vicksburg formation which 
is estimated to be not less than 300 feet thick. This formation is 
represented at the surface by residual sands and clays and by flint 
fragments. Beneath the residual materials the formation probably 
consists mainly of limestones interbedded, according to well records, 
with sands. A thin deposit of loose residual sand covers the upland, 
and Pleistocene deposits, which have very little bearing on the water 
supply, occur along Flint River and Ichawaynochaway Creek. 

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by several hundred feet of 
undifferentiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls of Eocene age, 
which contain water-bearing beds. The Eocene deposits are under- 
lain by 2,000 feet or more of sands, clays, and marls of Cretaceous 
age, beneath which at an undetermined depth is the basement of 
ancient crystalline rocks. The Cretaceous deposits contain impor- 
tant water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The shallow open wells of the county vary in depth from 30 to 40 
feet. The water of many of them is hard and is considered unwhole- 
some. The water is derived from the Vicksburg formation and from 
the residual sands and clays resulting from the weathering of this 
formation. There are several perennial limestone springs in the 
county, but their waters are used only locally for drinking and cook- 
ing. The largest are Blue Spring, at the mouth of Coolewahee Creek 
at Newton, and Lester Spring, 8 miles northeast of Newton. 

Two deep flowing wells have been obtained in the county, and it 
is probable that others can be obtained anywhere east of Ichaway- 
nochaway Creek. Limestones of the Vicksburg formation will yield 
large supplies of water at depths of 300 feet or less, and the water- 
bearing strata of the Eocene and Cretaceous deposits which underlie 
the Vicksburg and which furnish flows in Calhoun and Dougherty 
counties will yield waters at depths of 300 to 1,500 feet or more. 



BAKER COUNTY. 137 



LOCAE SUPPLIES. 



Newton (population 364, census of 1910). — An artesian well owned 
by Newton is 825 feet deep and flows at the rate of 15 gallons per 
minute; the water will rise 35 feet above the surface. McCallie 1 
has published the following log, giving I. B. Perry as authority: 

Log of town ivell at Newton. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sands and clays 

Rock. 

Quicksand and rock 

Marl , sand , and rock 

Marl 

Rock, white, honeycombed, water bearing 



Feel. 

SO 
300 
200 
100 
120 

25 



Feet. 
80 
380 
580 
680 
800 
825 



The water-bearing strata are probably in the lower part of the 
Eocene. The following analysis of the water was made by Edgar 
Everhart: 1 

Analysis of water from an 825-foot town xvell at Newton. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 20 

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe 2 3 +Al 3 3 ) 3. 6 

Calcium (Ca) 4.5 

Magnesium (Mg) 3. 2 

Sodium (Na) _ 59 

Potassium (K) 1. 9 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) .0 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 162 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) , 9. 3 

Chlorine (CI) 7. 

Total dissolved solids 190 

Total hardness 27 

Permanent hardness 23 

Free carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) 74 

Elmodel. — Elmodel is a small village 12 miles west of Newton. 
According to M. A. Jarrard, driller, an artesian well at this place, 
completed in 1907, is 661 feet deep, and is cased to a depth of 365 
feet. The diameter at the top is 4| inches and at the bottom 2 
inches. When finished, the water rose in a pipe 30 feet above the 
surface and flowed 70 gallons a minute. A slight decrease in the 
yield is thought to be due to a leak in the casing. The water is used 
for general domestic purposes. 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 52, 1908. 



138 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Log of well at Elmodel. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sand and clay 

Rock \v ith thin layers of clav 

Sand ". ' 

Rock, very hard : 

Marl, blue 

Stopped on white, porous, water-bearing rock. 



Feet. 
160 
100 
100 
10 
290 



Feet. 
160 
260 
360 
370 
660 



The water probably conies from the Midway or the Wilcox forma- 
tion of the Eocene. 

Mimmsville. — Drilled wells 200 feet deep have been reported from 
near Mimmsville, in the southwestern part of the county. 

BALDWIN COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Baldwin County is near the central part of Georgia, on the border 
between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Its 
area is 307 square miles and its population 18,354 (census of 1910). 
Agriculture and the mining and manufacture of clay products are the 
chief industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Approximately the southern half of the county is included within 
the Atlantic Coastal Plain and forms part of the physiographic divi- 
sion known as the fall-line hills. This part of the county is drained 
by Oconee River, the two principal tributaries of winch are Town 
Creek and Fishing Creek. The surface has been much dissected by 
these streams and their tributaries and is therefore hilly, the maxi- 
mum topographic relief being probably between 350 and 400 feet. 
Two narrow, fairly well denned Pleistocene terrace plains have been 
formed along Oconee River, one lying 10 to 20 feet and the other 40 
to 50 feet above low-water level. The general hilly character of the 
area has been thus modified in a tract a mile or more in width bor- 
dering the river. 

GEOLOGY. 

Crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau region or their decom- 
posed products outcrop at the surface over more than half of the 
county and are present beneath Cretaceous and younger deposits in 
the remainder. Coarse, unevenly bedded sands and clays of Lower 
Cretaceous age form the surface materials over the greater part of 
the area between Oconee River and the eastern boundary of the 
county. They rest upon the crystalline rocks, which appear in the 
bed of Oconee River on the west and of Gum Creek on the east. 
Strata of the same age and of similar character rest upon the crystal- 



BALDWIN COUNTY. 139 

line rocks in the southwestern part of the area south of Milledgeville. 
The maximum thickness of the Lower Cretaceous deposits within the 
county is probably not greater than 100 or 150 feet. 

In a small area in the vicinity of Stevens Pottery the Lower Cre- 
taceous sediments are unconformably overlain by relatively thin, 
overlapping sands and clays belonging to the Claiborne group of the 
Eocene. Some terrace loams, sands, and gravels of Pleistocene age 
have been deposited along Oconee River. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.) 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The Water supplies for domestic use in the Coastal Plain areas in 
Baldwin County are derived chiefly from wells of the dug type 20 to 
80 feet in depth and from small springs. The waters yielded by both 
wells and springs come principally from the beds of sand which pre- 
dominantly compose the Lower Cretaceous deposits. The waters are 
of satisfactory quality except where locally contaminated from sur- 
face sources. 

Small creeks and branches furnish an abundant supply of excellent 
water for the use of domestic animals and for local steam-producing 
plants. 

As the Lower Cretaceous strata probably do not exceed a thickness 
of 100 or 150 feet within the county limits, and as only slight artesian 
pressure is developed, wells drawing water from this source can 
scarcely be classed as artesian. However, moderate amounts of 
water of good quality can be obtained from the porous beds of sand 
which largely compose the deposits. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Milledgeville (population 4,385, census of 1910). — Milledgeville, the 
county seat, is situated near the fall line, which marks the boundary 
between the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont Plateau. 

The town is equipped with a water-supply system concerning which 
the following data have been furnished by Mayor M. S. Bell: 

The water plant is owned by the Baldwin County Water Co., of Phila- 
delphia, Pa., and draws from Fishing Creek, 1-| miles northwest of the 
center of the town. Two pumps, having a combined daily capacity 
of 750,000 gallons, force the water from its source to a standpipe 
which has a capacity of 150,000 gallons, and affords a pressure of 
75 pounds. The distributing mains have a total length of 5-J- miles. 
There are 278 domestic taps and 82 tire hydrants. The total daily 
consumption for all purposes is 250,000 gallons. The water is soft. 
The State farm is located within the basin of Fishing Creek and the 
creek receives the drainage from the farm a short distance above the 
waterworks intake. 



140 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Stevens Pottery. — So far as reported the only attempt yet made 
to drill a deep artesian well in the county was made in 1893 at the 
Stevens Pottery. W. C. Stevens states that at a depth between 60 
and 75 feet a strong flow of water was encountered but was ca*sed off, 
and drilling was continued through soft " granite " rock to a depth 
of 150 feet. The well has been abandoned. The soft rock was prob- 
ably the upper decayed portion of the crystalline basement rocks 
which underlie the Lower Cretaceous deposits. 

BEN HILL COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Ben Hill County is in the central part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia, in the wire-grass section. Its population (census of 1910) 
is 11,863 and its area is 256 square miles. Fitzgerald, the only 
large town in the county, is the county seat. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is gently rolling and the relief is slight; the elevations 
probably ranging from 325 to 400 feet above sea level. The elevation 
at Fitzgerald, at the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad sta- 
tion, is about 385 feet. Ocmulgee River forms a part of the northern 
boundary of the county and is the only stream of noteworthy size. 

GEOLOGY. 

The greater part of the county is underlain by 100 feet or less of 
irregularly bedded sands and clays which weather to gray or yellow 
sands several feet thick. These deposits are underlain by the Alum 
Bluff formation, which consists of 100 feet or more of greenish-gray 
sands and clays and which appears in the bluff of Ocmulgee River at 
the mouth of House Creek, in the northeastern part of the county. 
The Alum Bluff is probably underlain, in descending order, by the 
Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations (Oligocene) and the Jack- 
son formation (Eocene), which consist mainly of water-bearing- 
limestones and the combined thickness of which is probably between 
300 and 500 feet. The Jackson formation is underlain by undiffer- 
entiated sands, clays, and marls of Eocene age, and these are underlain 
by undifferentiated Cretaceous deposits which at an unknown depth 
rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Water for domestic purposes is obtained chiefly from dug wells of 
shallow depth. The waters of streams and ponds are used locally for 
steam-producing purposes. Springs are comparatively few and are 



BEN HILL COUNTY. 141 

of little importance. The only deep wells reported are at Fitzgerald 
and Bowens Mill. 

Throughout the county wells drilled to depths of 200 to 1,500 feet 
or more may be expected to furnish abundant supplies of water, but 
th^e prospects for obtaining flows are very poor, except on a narrow 
area of lowland bordering Ocmulgee River, and in the valleys of some 
of the small tributaries entering the river. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Fitzgerald (population 5,795, census of 1910). — The town of Fitz- 
gerald owns a water-supply system and obtains water from an arte- 
sian well, using 40,000 gallons a day. The water is satisfactory for 
general domestic purposes but is not used for manufacturing. The 
city well (No. 2, Table 1) is 825 feet deep and the water which prob- 
ably comes from Eocene strata is reported to rise to within 100 feet 
of the surface. The following is an analysis of the water by Edgar 
Everhart : 1 

Analysis of ivater from an S25-foot town well at Fitzgerald. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 13 

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe 2 3 + A1 2 3 ) 10 

Calcium (Ca) 20 

Magnesium (Mg) 5. 2 

Sodium (Na) 8.2 

Potassium (K) ■_ 1. 9 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) .0 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 72 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 3. 7 

Phosphate radicle (P0 4 ) Trace. 

Chlorine (CI) 20 

Total dissolved solids 118 

Free carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) 28 

There are several wells at Fitzgerald which are reported to be 
about 650 feet deep, and one which is 381 feet deep (No. 3, Table 1). 
The water-bearing beds tapped by these wells are believed to be in 
the undifferentiated Oligocene and Eocene limestones described on 
page 140. McCallie 2 has published the following log of the 381-foot 

well: 

Log of 381-foot well of Fitzgerald Ice Co., at Fitzgerald. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Red clay and sand 

Quicksand? 

Limestone with some clay. 



Feet. 
100 
125 
156 



Feet. 
100 
225 
381 



Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 123, 1908. - Idem, p. 122. 



142 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Bowens Mill (population 79, census of 1910). — Bo wens Mill is a 
small community in the northeastern part of the county, near 
Ocmulgee River. A well (No. 1, Table 1) owned by R. V. Bowens 
is 670 feet deep and is said to flow at the rate of 50 gallons per minute 
at a height of 15 feet above the surface. The water is reported to be 
hard and sulphurous. 

Table 1. — Wells in Ben Hill County. 



No. 



Location. 



Owner. 



Authority. 



> o 



Yield per 

minute. 



Bowens Mill 
(near Fitz- 
gerald). 

Fitzgerald 

do 



R. V. Bowens, 
Fitzgerald. 

City 

Fitzgerald Ice Co. 



T. H. Beale. 



Feet. 



S. W. McCalliea.. 
do 



38S 



Feet. 
670 



825 
381 



In. 



Feet. 



Feet. 
+ 15 



Galls. 
50 



Galls. 



370- 
500 



No. 



Quality. 



Sulphurous 

Analysis, p. 141 . . 



Use. 



Domestic 

Municipal supply. 

Manufacture of ice. 



Principal water bed. 



Geologic horizon. Character. 



Eocene. 
do. 



Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 



Porous lime- 
stone. 



Remarks. 



Several other wells at 
Fitzgerald are re- 

■ ported to be about 
650 feet deep. See 
log, p. 141. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 122, 123, 1908. 
BERRIEN COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 

Berrien County lies hi the south-central part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia, between Alapaha River on the east and Little River on the 
west. Its area is 735 square miles and its population is 22,772 (census 
of 1910). Agriculture and the production of lumber and naval stores 
are the chief industries. The main industrial use to which the 
waters are put is the production of steam in the boilers of sawmills 
and cotton gins. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is nearly level. The principal streams, Alapaha, 
Little, and Withlacoochee rivers, and their numerous small tribu- 
taries, flow sluggishly through swamps without definite channels and 
have accomplished little erosion. The valleys are shallow, the maxi- 
mum relief being about 70 feet. Cypress ponds or swamps are com- 



BERRIEN COUNTY. 143 

mon on the flat lands in the southern part of the county. The known 
railroad elevations are Adel, 246; Alapaha, 293; Cecil, 250; Enigma, 
309; Lenox, 300; and Sparks, 241. 

GEOLOGY. 

The surface formation consists of 50 or 60 feet of sands and clays, 
probably Oligocene, and is the source of the water of seepage springs 
and shallow wells. The Alum Bluff formation, which consists of clays 
and sands having a probable maximum thickness of 200 feet, out- 
crops in the valleys of Alapaha, Withlacooch.ee, and Little rivers. 
The formation contains local water-bearing beds, as at Milltown, but 
in general it is believed to be of little importance as an aquifer. 

Thin coverings of Pleistocene sand and clay, deposited on the nar- 
row terraces bordering the rivers, yield waters locally and are the 
source of a few springs, but are of relatively slight importance as 
aquifers. 

Limestones of the Chattahoochee formation underlie the Alum 
Bluff formation at probable depths of 250 or 275 feet, and are in turn 
underlain in descending order by the Vicksburg and Jackson for- 
mations, which consist chiefly of limestones. These formations are 
water bearing and will yield abundant supplies. 

The Jackson formation is underlain in descending order by undiffer- 
entiated strata of Eocene and Cretaceous age, probably having an 
aggregate thickness of 2,000 feet or more, which at an undetermined 
depth rest upon ancient crystalline rocks. The Eocene and Cretaceous 
deposits contain important water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Shallow open and driven wells, ranging in depth from 10 to 65 feet 
and yielding soft water, are the principal sources of domestic supply 
in the small villages and rural districts. On the flat lowlands the 
water table is only a few feet beneath the surface and during rainy 
weather is frequently so near the surface that water can be dipped 
from the wells by hand. Driven and bored wells are practicable over 
the whole county, and should be used in preference to open dug wells, 
which are more likely to be contaminated by surface drainage. 

In places at or near the edges of swamps or poorly drained depres- 
sions there are small seepage springs, some of which yield unwhole- 
some waters. The waters of the ponds, creeks, and rivers are dark 
or black from decayed vegetation. 

Artesian water can doubtless be obtained anywhere in the county 
at depths of 100 to 1,500 feet or more, but the chance for obtaining 
natural flows is slight. Artesian wells have been drilled at Adel, 
Sparks, Nashville, Milltown, and Heartsease. 



144 rXDKKGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 



LOCAL SUri'I.IKS. 



Adel (population 1,902, census of 1910). — The town of Adel owns 
an artesian well and has a public water-supply system, but a large 
part of the population uses shallow open wells. The public artesian 
well (No. 2, Table 2), drilled in 1907, is 675 feet deep and 10 inches in 
diameter. The water rises to within 50 feet of the surface and the 
yield is 500 gallons per minute. The water is hard (see analysis 1, 
Table 3) and the content of total solids is high, rendering it less suit- 
able for general domestic purposes than most of the artesian waters 
of- the Coastal Plain of Georgia. The well probably penetrates the 
upper part of the Eocene. S. W.McCallie 1 gives the following account 
of another artesian well (No. 1, Table 2) at this place: 

The Adel well, completed in 1893, is 4J inches in diameter and 280 feet deep. The 
water rises to within 154 feet of the surface. Mr. J. B. Spencer furnishes the following 
[partial] record : 

Log of 280-foot well at Adel. 

Feet. 

Sandy soil 2 

Red clay 10 

White sand 10 

Blue clay with sandstone bowlders 125 

Fine white sand , 25 

• Limestone with thin layers of flint (water bearing at 229 feet) 100 

Sparks (population 842, census of 1910). — The town of Sparks owns 
an artesian well 407 feet deep (No. 6, Table 2) which supplies the 
greater part of the population with water for all purposes. The analy- 
sis (No. 2, Table 3) shows a moderately hard carbonate water, calcium 
and magnesium being the principal bases. 

Nashville (population 990, census of 1910). — Nashville owns a pub- 
lic water-supply system which obtains water from an artesian well 
(No. 5, Table 2) completed in 1907. The water is reported to be 
hard, but is satisfactory in other respects, and is used for general 
domestic purposes and for the manufacture of ice. The well is 436 
feet deep and 6 inches in diameter. The water rises to within 125 
feet of the surface, but is lowered 25 feet, or to 150 feet below the 
surface, by pumping 135 gallons a minute. The shallow wells in the 
town are from 20 to 40 feet in depth and afford soft waters. 

Milltown (population 1,247, census of 1910). — Open wells, 10 to 30 
feet in depth, are the principal source of water supply at Milltown. 
There is one deep well hi the town (No. 4, Table 2), information con- 
cerning which has been furnished by McCallie 2 as follows: 

The G. V. Gress Lumber Co.'s well, located at Milltown, was completed October 
25, 1903. The well is 6 inches in diameter and 260 feet deep, and it furnishes a good 
supply of sulphureted water, rising to within 80 feet of the surface. The main water 
supply is said to come from sand 100 feet from the surface. The water is used for drink- 
ing and other purposes. 

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 53, 1908. 2 Idem, p. 55. 



BERRIEN COUNTY. 



145 



Heartsease. — A deep well at Heartsease (No. 3, Table 2), owned by 
the Gun Manufacturing Co., is reported to be 800 feet deep. The 
water rises to within 300 feet of the surface. 

Table 2. — Wells in Berrien County. 



No. 



Location. 



Owner. 



Driller. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
plet- 
ed. 



Ap- 
prox- 
imate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 



Adel 

do 

Heartsease . 

Milltown. . . 



Nashville 

Sparks, 100 yards 
northeast of post 
office. 



Town 

Gun Manufacturing 

Co. 
G. V. Gress Lumber 

Co. 

Town , 

.....do 



White & Co. 



J. B. Spencer o. 



Postmaster 

S.W.McCallie&. 



1S93 
1907 



Feet. 
246 
246 



J. W. Sirmans, mayor. 
Mark McCaine and 
E. R. Slade. 



1903 



1907 
190S 



No. 



Depth. 



Diame- 
ter. 



Depth 

to 
princi- 
pal wa- 

ter- 
bearing 

bed. 



Depth 
to other 

water- 
bearing 

beds. 



Level 

of water 

below 

surface. 



Yield per min- 
ute. 



Flow. 



Pump. 



How ob- 
tained. 



Quality. 



Feet. 
280 
675 



260 
436 



Inches. 

4". 

10 



Feet. 
229 



Feet. 



100 
400 



Feet. 
154 
50 



125 

45 



Galls. 



Galls. 



500 
20 



Steam 
pump. 

Air-lift 
pump. 



135 
300 



Air-lift 

pump. 
do 



Hard and sulphurous. 

Analysis 1, Table 3. 
Hard. 

Sulphurous. 
Hard. 

Hard. Analysis 2, Table 3. 





Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 




Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Chattahoochee for- 
mation ? 


Limestone 


See log, p. 144. 


2 


Municipal supply . 


10-inch casingto 60 feet. Cost of well, $2,000. 


3 


do 






4 


Manufacturing 

Municipal supply . 
.do 


Alum Bluff forma- 
tion. 

Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 

do 






5 
6 


Soft rock 


6-inchcasingto300feet. Cost of well, 81,200; 

of machinery, 81,200. 
10-inch casing to 407 feet. Cost of well, 










$1,000. 



a- Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 53, 1908. 
38418°— wsp 341—15 10 



b Idem, p. 55, 56. 



146 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN" OF GEORGIA. 



Table 3. — Analyses of well waters from Berrien County. 
[Parts per million.] 



Silica (Si0 2 ) 

Iron(Fe) 

Calcium (Ca) 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Sodium (Na) 

Potassium ( K) 

Carbonate radicle (CO3) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3) 

Sulphate radicle ( SO*) 

Nitrate radicle (NO3) 

Chlorine (CI) 

Total dissolved solids 

1. Well No. 2, Table 2. Sample collected June 13, 1911; Edgar Everhart, analyst 

2. Well No. 6, Table 2. Edgar Everhart, analyst. 

BIBB COUNTY. 



47 
4.0 
150 
72 

22 

.0 
168 
518 

.0 
21 
972 



31 

.3 
50 
16 
4.3 

.6 



136 

72 



5.0 

252 



GENERAL FEATURES. 

Bibb County is in the central part of the State on the border between 
the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Its area is 
277 square miles and its population (according to the census of 1910) 
is 56,646. In the city of Macon the chief industries are the extraction 
of cottonseed oil and the manufacture of cotton goods, wagons, agri- 
cultural implements, fertilizers, lumber products, and food prepara- 
tions. Outside of Macon agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The portion of the county included within the Coastal Plain is a 
part of the physiographic division known as the fall-line hills. The 
tops of the higher hills mark the position of a once-existing upland 
plain which has been largely destroyed by the erosion of Ocmulgee 
River and its several tributaries. 

Detailed information concerning the topography is lacking, but 
the maximum relief is probably between 300 and 400 feet. The sur- 
face, which over much of the area is hilly, has been modified in an 
area several miles wide bordering Ocmulgee River by processes which 
have produced two fairly well defined Pleistocene terrace plains, 
one lying 10 to 20 feet and the other 60 to 75 feet above low-water level 
of the river. 

GEOLOGY. 

Crystalline rocks, more or less decomposed, probably of pre- 
€ambrian age, outcrop in the Piedmont Plateau. Their upper 
surface inclines southward and passes beneath the deposits of the 
Coastal Plain which form the surface materials over approximately 
two-thirds of the county. In the Coastal Plain area Lower 
Cretaceous deposits, consisting of several hundred feet of coarse, 
irregularly bedded, arkosic sands with clay lenses, rest immediately 



BIBB COUNTY. 147 

upon the crystalline basement rocks. These deposits are uncon- 
formably overlain in a limited area in the southern part of the county 
by the Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation, which consists 
of sands and clays similar in character to those constituting the 
Lower Cretaceous deposits. A thin overlap of strata belonging to 
the Claiborne group of the Eocene extends from Twiggs County into 
the eastern part of Bibb County and covers the Lower Cretaceous 
deposits in a limited area. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.) 

In narrow areas bordering Ocmulgee River Pleistocene terracing 
has taken place, and terrace deposits of loams, sands, and gravels 
20 to 30 feet thick have been deposited upon the Cretaceous beds. 
Thin surficial deposits of gravel, which are present in discontinuous 
patches on the tops and upper slopes of some of the hills southwest 
of Macon, are tentatively referred to the Claiborne group of the 
Eocene. 

The beds of sand which predominantly compose the formations of 
the Coastal Plain in this county contain waters of excellent quality 
in great abundance. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The chief sources of domestic water supply in Bibb County outside 
the city of Macon are dug wells 20 to 100 feet or more in depth and 
springs. On the first terrace lands bordering Ocmulgee River wells of 
shallow depth prevail, and they tap water-bearing beds at the base 
of the Pleistocene terrace deposits. Waters from these sources are of 
satisfactory quality unless contaminated by drainage from dwellings 
and stables. In the hilly areas away from the river it is necessary 
to sink the wells to 100 feet or more, except in the bottoms of the 
small valleys between the hills, where the water table stands nearer 
the surface. Except in a small area in the southern part of the 
county, where the Cusseta sand member is drawn upon, the water- 
bearing beds tapped by dug wells in the hilly areas are in the Lower 
Cretaceous deposits. 

Springs are numerous throughout the Coastal Plain portion of the 
county. Many are small but some yield large quantities of water. 
The spring waters are commonly soft and of good quality, but 
are locally charged with moderate amounts of mineral matter. Two 
springs of commercial importance are White Elk or St. Winifreds 
Spring (see pp. 149-150), 7 miles east of Macon on the Edwards estate, 
and White Oak Spring near Macon, the waters of both of which are 
sold for drinking purposes. 

Numerous small creeks and branches afford an abundant supply 
of water for stock and for steam producing. 



148 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The Lower Cretaceous sediments, which constitute the bulk of the 
deposits of the Coastal Plain part of the county, contain numerous 
beds of coarse unconsolidated sand and gravel capable of carrying 
large quantities of water. Except along their northern border, where 
they feather out against the crystalline rocks, these deposits may be 
regarded as a most promising source of artesian supplies. South- 
ward from the border the deposits gradually thicken until in the 
extreme southern part of the county the base of the water-bearing 
strata lies at an estimated depth of 600 feet. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Macon (population 40,665, census of 1910). — The city of Macon is 
provided with a water-supply system, information concerning which 
has been furnished byH. S. Edwards, postmaster, and H. T. Lowell. 

The plant is owned by the Macon Gas, Light & Water Co. and 
the source of supply is Ocmulgee River. The pumps which lift the 
water to the standpipe have a daily capacity of 10,000,000 gallons. 
The capacity of the standpipe is 3,000,000 gallons. The standpipe 
pressure is 50 pounds and the possible direct pressure from the pumps 
is 120 pounds. The length of the distributing mains is 42.7 miles. 
The number of domestic taps is 3,859; manufacturing taps, 68; and 
fire hydrants, 268. The total amount of water used daily for domestic 
purposes, manufacturing, street sprinkling, and sewer flushing is 
approximately 4,500,000 gallons. The water is filtered, after which 
it is satisfactory for all purposes. 

Mr. Edwards has also furnished the following information concern- 
ing the private wells formerly used in Macon and concerning certain 
wells now in use in the vicinity of Macon : 

There are at present no wells in the city proper. Speaking generally and from 
memory, the wells formerly used in the residential portion among the hills were from 
70 to 110 feet in depth. * * * Several of them were highly mineralized, iron pre- 
dominating. On the lower levels the wells were from 20 to 40 feet deep, the waters 
rising 10 to 12 feet in them. 

South of the city, in the river valley, factories, railway shops, and ice works obtain 
a large supply of water from shallow wells. The supply from this source seems inex- 
haustible and the water is good. I understand, however, that it is destructive of 
boiler flues and is unfit for bleaching purposes in our cotton mills. 

An unsuccessful attempt was made in 1890 by the Acme Brewing 
Co., of Macon, to obtain water from a deep artesian source. (See 
well No. 1, Table 4.) 

Walden. — Several artesian wells (Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, Table 4) which 
tap water-bearing beds in the Lower Cretaceous deposits have been 
drilled in the vicinity of Walden. The analysis of a sample of water 
from a 265-foot well owned by J. B. Willis (No. 3, Table 4) is given 
in Table 5 (analysis 3). The following is a log of a well (No. 7, 
Table 4) dug near Walden. The owner is authority for the lithology : 



BIBB COUNTY. 149 

Log of well of W. G. Middlebroohs, 1\ miles west of Walden (No. 7, Table 4)- 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Cusseta sand member: 

Clay, red 

Sand, white, and kaolin, about 

Clay and sand, water bearing 



Feet. 
22 



Seven miles south of Macon. — A well (No. 2, Table 4) which taps 
a water-bearing bed in the Lower Cretaceous deposits was drilled 
in 1911 on the property of M. G. Thames, 7 miles south of Macon. 
W. J. Floyd, the driller, furnishes the following log : 

Log of well of M. G. Thames, 7 miles south of Macon (No. 2, Table 4)- 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



[Eocene? (Claiborne group):] 

Sandy soil 

Red clay 

Very hard red clay 

Reddish sand 

[Lower Cretaceous: 

Whitish clay and "chalk" [white clay] 

Pebbly sand : 

Sand and clay 

Sand 

Clay and "chalk" [white clay] 

Sand 

Layers of soft rock and sand pockets 

Soft rock 

Coarse gravel - 

Very hard clay and "chalk" [white clay] 

White clay 

Thin layers of rock with interbedded soft pockets, water bearing 

Coarse gravel, stopped on hard rock 



Feet. 
1 

19 
6 



Feet. 



1 
20 
26 
34 

74 
85 
110 
125 
140 
158 
170 
195 
199 
210 
250 
270 
277 



White Elk Spring. — White Elk or St. Winifreds Spring is on the 
Edwards estate, in the valley of Swift Creek, 7 miles east of the 
post-office building at Macon. The spring is at present owned by 
Mary R. Edwards and is being exploited by the White Elk Spring 
Co., of Macon. H. S. Edwards furnishes the following particulars: 
The spring is one of three emerging from fine sand beneath a bed 
of white clay in close proximity. Glazed tile pipes, driven a short 
distance into the water-bearing sand, conduct the water into a brick 
and cement basin built over the mouth of the spring. The basin is 
covered with plate glass and illuminated by electric light. From 
the basin a galvanized pipe carries a portion of the water to a near-by 
bottling house, the remainder being discharged through another pipe 
into the valley below. The daily yield of the spring is 28,000 gal- 
lons, there being no appreciable variation in the rate of yield. The 
water is very clear and soft and is bottled and sold for drinking pur- 
poses, the principal market being the city of Macon. (See analyses 
1 and 2, Table 5.) 



150 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



The source of White Elk Spring is in the Lower Cretaceous sands, 
which here form the northwestern margin of the deposits of the 
Coastal Plain area. Crystalline basement rocks are said to outcrop 
a mile to the east. 

Tufts Springs. — Tufts Springs, south of Macon at the edge of the 
Ocmulgee River swamp, were formerly the source of the water supply 
of the city of Macon. 

Table 4. — Wells in Bibb County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 


1 




Acme Brewing Co., 

Macon, Ga. 
M.G.Thames 

J. B. Willis 




S. W. McCalliea... 

W. J. Floyd 

Owner (see also 

S. W.McCallie).a 

S. W.McCallieo... 


1S90 
1911 
1898 


Feet. 
333 ± 

6 450? 

400? 


2 


Macon, 7 miles south 
of. 

do 


W. J. Floyd 


4 


B. F. Vinson 




400? 


"> 


W a 1 d e n, one-half 

mile west of. 
Walden, 3 miles 

northwest of. 
Walden, 1J miles 

west of. 


W.J. Willis 


H. R. Teal, 

Richwood, Ga. 

do 


Owner (see also 

McCallie).<z 
do 


1898 
1900 
1904 




6 


J. A. Whiteside 




7 


W. G.Middlebrooks. 





















Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
955 

277 

265 

185 
185 
190 

82 


Inches. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Galls. 

No 


Galls. 
ne. 

20+ 






2 
3 


4.5 

4 

4 
4 
3 


249-270 

250 

180? 
185 
185? 
70 


195 

75 

75 
75-100 


104 

70 

80 
60 
90 


Deep-well cylinder 
and gasoline en- 
gine. 

Gasoline engine 
and windmill. 


Soft. Analysis 3, 
Table 5. 


4 






5 






Windmill 


Soft. 


6 


I 5 


do 


Do. 


7 


do 



















a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 56-57, 1908. 



& On a hill. 



BLECKLEY COUNTY. 
Table 4. — Wells in Bibb County — Continued. 



151 





Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


No. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 








Penetrated Lower Cretaceous strata for 


9 




Lower Cretaceous. 
do 


Coarse gravel 


perhaps 100 feet and basement crys- 
talline rocks to bottom. Well a 
failure and abandoned. 
Bored; 4 J- inch galvanized casing to 203 


3 




feet. See log, p. 149. 
Drilled; 250 feet of 4-inch casing. Cost 


4 




do 


do 


of well, $300. 
Drilled. 


5 




do 


Coarse gravel 


Drilled; 110 feet 4-inch casing. Hard, 
flinty rock 120 to 140 feet. Pumped 
6 hours with engine without lowering. 
Cost of well and windmill, $800. 

Drilled. Cost of well and windmill, 


6 


....do 


do 


7 


....do 


Cusseta sand 
member of Rip- 
ley formation. 




$600. 
Dug. Cost of well, $50. Cost of wind- 








mill, $200. See log, p. 149. 



Table 5. — Analyses of underground waters from Bibb County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Date of col- 
lection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 




White Elk Spring. 
do 


Macon, 7 miles east 
. of post office. 


Lower Cretace- 
ous. 
do 


Feet. 


J. F. Sellers.^ 


2 


Dec. 30,1912 




3 


Well of J. B.Willis. 




do 


250-265 


A. M. Lloyd.6 











0.18 



.5 
c 2. 5 



r 



3.5 
1.6 I 1.0 



0.0 
3.9 



3.1 



4.0 
1.2 



0.5 



fla 



Remarks. 



Free CO 2 =0.8. See 
data, pp. 149-150. 

Well No. 3, Table 4. 



o Expressed by analyst in grains per gallon and hypothetical combinations; recomputed to parts per 
million and ionic form at U. S. Geol. Survey. 
6 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 57, 1908. 
c Fe a 3 -l-Al203. 

BLECKLEY COUNTY. 

Since this report was transmitted for publication a part of Pulaski 
County has been organized as Bleckley County. This area is described 
under the heading Pulaski County, on pages 359-362. 



152 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

BROOKS COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Brooks County is in the extreme southern part of the State, along 
the Florida border. Its area is 514 square miles and its population 
is 23,832 (census of 1910). The county is rich agriculturally and also 
produces lumber and naval stores. The principal manufacturing 
plants are at Quitman, and include a cotton mill, fertilizer factories, 
cottonseed-oil mills, and an ice factory. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The northern part of the county is generally level with, however, 
some gently rolling or slightly broken land. The southern part of 
the county, south of Quitman, is rolling to hilly, and lime sinks and 
ponds are more common than in the north. This part of the county 
is embraced in the southern lime-sink region (pp. 34-35) of the Coastal 
Plain of Georgia. The principal streams are Withlaeooch.ee and 
Little rivers and Ocopilco Creek, all of which are sluggish dark- 
water streams originating in the Coastal Plain. Withlacoochee and 
Little rivers are bordered by two narrow fluviatile terrace plains, 
the first lying 12 to 15 feet and the second 35 to 40 feet above low 
water. The rivers are not bordered by swamps but flow canal-like 
through the first terrace plain. 

The known elevations with reference to sea level are Quitman, 173 
feet; Dixie, 130 feet; and water level, Withlacoochee River, Atlantic 
Coast Line Railroad bridge, 81 feet. From an estimate based on 
elevations along the Georgia Southern & Florida Railway, in Lowndes 
and Berrien counties, the higher land in the northern part of the 
county probably reaches 250 feet above sea level. 

GEOLOGY. 

The undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene deposits and the 
Alum Bluff and Chattahoochee are the surficial formations of the 
county everywhere except along Withlacoochee and Little rivers, on 
which thin Pleistocene terrace deposits appear. The waters of the 
shallow wells come from the formations named. Irregularly bedded 
sands and clays constitute the surface material over much of the 
county but are not so thick as they are farther north, having been 
largely removed by erosion along the streams and in the southern 
part of the county, where the soils are derived from the Alum Bluff 
formation. The Alum Bluff formation, which consists principally of 
fine-grained, drab or gray, unctuous or slick clays interbedded with 
sands, is the source of the water in some of the shallow wells but 
probably will not yield artesian supplies. The Chattahoochee for- 
mation, which underlies the Alum Bluff formation, consists prin- 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XIX 




A. WADE SPRING, 7 MILES EAST OF QUITMAN, BROOKS COUNTY. 
This Is a limestone spring having an estimated yield of 15,000,000 gallons a day. Photograph by S. W. McCallie. 




SMALL RICE AND LUMBER MILL AT TARBORO, CAMDEN COUNTY, OPERATED BY THE 
COMBINED FLOW OF THREE ARTESIAN WELLS. 

Photograph by S. W. McCallie. 



BROOKS COUNTY. 153 

cipally of soft, cavernous, water-bearing limestones, and as a rule 
contains hard water. This formation appears in the banks of Withla- 
coochee River, in the southeastern part of the county, but elsewhere 
lies from 50 to probably 200 feet beneath the surface. The Vicks- 
burg formation underlies the Chattahoochee formation, and the com- 
bined thickness of the two is probably 500 or 600 feet. Beneath the 
Vicksburg formation Eocene strata and, at still greater depths, 
Cretaceous strata doubtless exist, and these probably contain water- 
bearing beds. At an undetermined depth the Cretaceous strata are 
believed to rest on a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The shallow wells are from 10 to 50 feet deep and are reported to 
yield soft waters. In some of the wells water is obtained from sand 
underneath clay layers, and where such wells are properly curbed the 
water is probably safe for drinking purposes. In many of the wells 
in the low moist lands the water stands within 4 or 5 feet of the sur- 
face and, owing to the danger of contamination, can scarcely be con- 
sidered suitable for domestic purposes. 

There are small seepage springs and a few large limestone springs 
in the county. Blue or Wade Spring, 7 miles east of Quitman, has an 
estimated flow of 15,000,000 gallons per day. 1 (See PL XIX, A.) 
Mclntyre Spring, near Withlacooch.ee River, close to the Florida 
line, probably flows twice this amount. Although the waters from 
these springs are cool, clear, and apparently free from pollution, they 
are not extensively used as sources of water supply, chiefly on account 
of their distance from large communities. 

The only artesian wells concerning which detailed information has 
been obtained are at Quitman (see pp. 154-155)., but it is probable that 
artesian water can be obtained at moderate depths at any place in the 
county, although there is but little likelihood of flows except perhaps 
in a small area of lowland along Withlacoochee River. (See map, 
PL XVIII, p. 122.) Water can be obtained from cavernous limestones 
at depths less than 300 or 350 feet, as demonstrated by the Quitman 
wells. It is suggested, however, that wells be drilled to greater 
depths and that the upper water-bearing beds be cased off in order to 
avoid possible pollution of the water by surface drainage entering 
through lime sinks. That such pollution is possible has been clearly 
demonstrated by experiments 3 at Quitman. 

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 58, 1908. 

2 McCallie, S. W., U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 110, pp. 45-54, 1905. 



154 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



LOCAL SUPPLIES. 



Quitman (population 3,915, census of 1910). — Artesian wells are the 
principal source of water supply. 

J. W. Spencer * gives the following partial log of the first well (No. 
5, Table 6), drilled in 1884 at the Quitman waterworks plant. 

Partial log of first municipal well at Quitman. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Clay and sand 

Soft rock in seams 

Rock, 3 feet, after which the drill fell 6 feet into a stream of water 
Soft rock and sand, with a thin layer of hard flint rock at base. . . 

Quicksand and hard rock in beds 1 to 3 feet thick 

Sand and clay 

Sand 



Feet. 
70 
30 
9 
77 
114 
40 
45 



Feet. 
70 
100 
109 
186 
300 
340 
385 



The water rose from 109 feet to within 30 feet of the surface. 

A well (No. 6, Table 6) 2 drilled in 1903 to a depth of 321 feet at 
the waterworks plant at Quitman furnished the municipal water sup- 
ply until 1910. Two water-bearing beds are said to have been en- 
countered, one at 123 feet and the other at 310 feet. An analysis 
of the water from the 310-foot stratum is given in Table 7 (analysis 2). 

In 1910 a third well (No. 3, Table 6) was drilled, which now fur- 
nishes the municipal water supply. This well is 699 feet deep and 
10 inches in diameter. It yields 400 to 500 gallons of water per min- 
ute by pumping without perceptibly lowering the static head. The 
water used comes from beds below 650 feet, the upper water-bearing 
beds having been cased off. These beds are probably in the Jackson 
formation of the Eocene. The following record of the well has been 
furnished by J. M. Curtwright, superintendent of the city water and 
light department: 

Log of well drilled at the new water and light plant, Quitman. 
[Authority, C E. Edwards.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Varicolored clay 

Yellow sand 

Yellow clay 

Yellow sand 

"Soapstone" or "talc" (unctuous clay) 

Gray mud and sand; thin layer of flint at base 

Brown limestone and flint 

Very hard brown rock and flint ... . 

White limestone, water bearing at 318 feet (bold stream) ,.. 

Brown flinty rock 

White limestone 

Brown flint, water bearing at 340 and 355 feet (bold streams) 

Gray limestone and bowlders of flint, water bearing at 440, 647, and 6S5 feet (bold streams 
at last two depths) 

i Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 74, 1891. 

a U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 110, pp. 45-54, 1905. 



Feet. 
25 
18 
32 
10 
15 
15 
44 
31 
110 
25 
11 
24 



Feet. 

25 

43 

75 

85 

100 

115 

159 

190 

300 

325 

336 

360 

699 



BROOKS COUNTY. 



155 



Aii analysis of water from the 699-foot well is given in Table 7 
(analysis 1). 

Several private wells in and near Quitman, most of them less than 
350 feet deep, probably draw from the Chattahoochee formation. 

Barwick (population 381, census of 1910). — The village of Barwick 
has no public water-supply system. Water for domestic use is ob- 
tained from dug and bored wells 25 to 60 feet deep, which, as a 
rule, yield abundant soft water. A bored well 50 feet deep (No. 1, 
Table 6), owned by the Farmers' Ginning Co., is reported to yield 
100 gallons a minute by pumping. 

Morven (population 383, census of 1910). — At Morven, water is 
obtained mainly from dug and bored wells 18 to 50 feet deep and from 
two wells 150 to 200 feet deep. The water of the shallow wells is soft, 
but that of the deep wells is said to contain considerable lime and 
probably comes from the limestone beds of the Chattahoochee forma- 
tion. (See well No. 2, Table 6.) 

Table 6. — Wells in Brooks County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


CO 

■2 
ft 

1 

o 
a> 
e3 

R 


3 > 
<V O 

•8* . 

S "3 

•a fl-fe 

3.2-2 
&£§ 

ft!> m 


1 




Farmers' Gin- 
ning Co. 




C. T. Headley 


1907 


Feet. 


9 








3 




City 


C. E. Edwards.. 


J. M. Curtwright.. 
S. W. McCallieo.. 

S. W. MeCalliea&. 

..do 


1910 
1903 

1884 

1903 
1905 
1905 


173 


4 


Quitman, f mile northwest of, 
at Oglesby mill. 

Quitman (near pumping sta- 
tion). 






S 


City 




173 


6 


do 




173 


7 


Quitman (near Russel Pond) 
Quitman, 2 miles northeast of. 


do 




...do 


173 


8 


Quitman Power 
Co. 




S. W. McCallieo.. 











No. 


Depth . 


Diame- 
ter. 


Depth 
to prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
toother 

water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 
of water 

below 
surface. 


Yield 
permin- 
ute by 
pump- 
ing. 


How obtained. 


Quality. 


1 


50 
200? 
699 

92 
500 
321 
120 
90± 


Inches. 
8 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 
30 

( c ) 
77 
48 


Galls. 
100 


Deep-well pump 


Soft 


? 






Hard 


3 


10 
6 
6 


650-699 

87 


w> 


400 




Analysis 1, Table 7. 


4 






S 








fi 


310 
120 
80± 


123 


77 
77 






Analysis 2, Table 7. 


7 






8 





















a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 58-60, 1908. 

i> U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 110, pp. 45-54, 1905. 



c Nonnowing. 
d See log, p. 154. 



156 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 6. — Wells in Brooks County — Continued. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Domestic and 

boiler supply. 
Domestic 


Alum Bluff forma- 
tion? 

Chatta h o o c h e e 
formation? 

Jackson forma- 
tion? 

Alum Bluff forma- 
tion. 

Vieksburg forma- 
tion? 

Chatta h o o c h e e 
formation? 






?, 






3 
4 


Municipal supply. 

Boiler supply 

Municipal supply. 


Limestone 


place. 
See log, p. 154. 


5 
6 


Limestone 


Cost of well, $3,000. See log, p. 154. 


7 


Drainage 




Used for draining ponds. 
Do. 


8 


do 















Table 7. — Analyses of artesian waters from Quitman. 
[Parts per million.] 



Silica(Si0 2 ) 

Iron (Fe) 

Aluminum (Al) 

Calcium (Ca) 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Sodium (Na) 

Potassium ( K) 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) . 

Sulphate radicle (SO^) 

Chlorine (CI) 

Total dissolved solids 

Free carbon dioxide (CO2) . . 



154 
3. 
4. 

159 



28 
13 
2.6 
23 
9.1 
4.1 
.7 
.0 
120 
Trace. 
5.8 
153 
90 



1. Well No. 3, Table G. Depth of principal water-bearing bed, 650-699 feet. Edgar Everhart, analyst. 

2. Well No. 6, Table 6. Depth of principal water-bearing bed, 310 feet. Edgar Everhart, analyst 
(Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 59-60, 1908). 

BRYAN COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 

Bryan County is one of the seacoast counties in the southeastern 
section of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. Ogeechee River forms its 
eastern boundary and Canoochee River its western boundary from 
the northwestern corner southeastward for about 20 miles, whence it 
flows eastward and divides the county into two parts. The area of 
the county is 431 square miles and its population is 6,702 (census of 
1910). There are no cities or large towns and water is not used 
extensively for industrial purposes. Lumber and naval stores are 
the chief products. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The southern half of the county, embracing practically all the land 
lying south of Canoochee River, is a terrace plain 10 to 30 feet above 
sea level. From the western edge of this lower plain, which lies 



BRYAN COUNTY. 157 

within the physiographic division known as the Satilla coastal lowland 
(see pp. 36-38), the land gradually rises to the Okefenokee plain, 
40 to 100 feet above sea level, and the plain to the Altamaha 
upland, of which the northern third of the county forms a part. 
The greater part of the county is poorly drained and is swampy. 
A considerable area of salt marsh lies adjacent to the mouth of 
Ogeechee River, and tide-swamp land extends upstream several miles 
beyond the salt marsh proper. Small ponds supporting a growth of 
cypress or gum characterize the higher plain. 

GEOLOGY. 

The surface deposits are sands and clays or silts, mainly of Pleisto- 
cene age, but in the northwestern part of the county are surficial mate- 
rials which are mapped as undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, 
inclusive. In the surficial formations the water table stands within 
a few feet of the surface and is obtained in wells 10 to 30 feet deep. 
The Pleistocene and undifferentiated deposits are thought to be not 
more than 50 feet thick. Beneath the surficial deposits are strata 
of probable Miocene age, and beneath the Miocene are other strata 
of probable upper Oligocene age, referable to the Alum Bluff forma- 
tion. The combined thickness of the Miocene and the Alum Bluff 
formation probably does not exceed 250 or 300 feet. These forma- 
tions consist mainly of sands and clays with subordinate beds of 
hard rock. The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by several 
hundred feet of soft porous limestones, shell marls, and calcareous 
sands and clays, which may represent in descending order the 
Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations of the Oligocene and the 
Jackson formation of the Eocene. The limestones are important 
aquifers and in the southern and eastern portions of the county, 
at depths of 300 to 450 feet, may be expected to yield abundant 
supplies of water which will flow at the surface. Beneath the lime- 
stones are marls and sands of Eocene age, probably aggregating a 
thickness of 1,000 feet or more. Strata of Cretaceous age underlie 
the Eocene at depths of 1,500 to 1,800 feet or more, but nothing 
definite is known concerning them; at an undetermined depth they 
probably rest upon ancient crystalline basement rocks. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The shallow wells of the county, which are mainly of the driven 
type and 10 to 30 feet deep, furnish soft waters, all of which are 
not wholesome. The few seepage springs are of relatively slight 
importance. 

Many artesian wells, most of them less than 500 feet deep, are 
scattered throughout the county. They yield moderately hard 



158 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

waters suitable for domestic and for most industrial purposes and of 
much better quality for drinking than waters from other sources. 
Except in the northwestern part of the county the conditions are 
favorable for obtaining artesian flows. (See map, PI. XVIII, p. 122.) 
It has not been possible to collect information regarding all wells in 
the county, but the few descriptions and analyses given on the 
following pages are typical and give a fair idea of the artesian condi- 
tions and the quality of the waters. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Ways (population 131, census of 1910). — Within 2 miles of Ways 
there are nine flowing wells from 320 to 460 feet deep. They draw 
from two water-bearing beds, one lying at about 300 feet and having 
weak flows and the other lying at about 400 feet and furnishing 
strong flows with a head of 30 to 35 feet above the surface. No 
thick beds of hard rock have been reported, the strata consisting 
mainly of sand and greenish or drab sandy clay. The wells are 
commonly cased to 70 or 100 feet. The artesian waters are moder- 
ately hard but are suitable for general domestic uses. (See Nos. 
12 to 14, Table 8.) 

Keller. — Keller, near which there are several flowing wells, is a 
small village about 8 miles south of Ways and about 15 feet above 
sea level. According to E. D. Cory, the driller, the public well (No. 6, 
Table 8) completed in 1895 is 325 feet deep and 2 inches in diameter. 
The principal water-bearing bed is limestone at 310 feet, but water 
was also found in gravels at 40 and 90 feet. When first drilled the 
water rose 18 feet above the surface, but it now rises only 6 feet 
above. The water is sulphurous but is used for domestic purposes. 
The following log of the public well has been obtained : 

Log of town well at Keller (No. 6, Table 8). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sand 

Mud and gravel 

Greenish marl (clay) and sand. . 
Shale rock 

Sand, shale rock, and hard marl. 
Limestone, water bearing 



Feet. 
20 
30 
20 
2 
238 
15 



Feet. 
20 
50 
70 
72 
310 
325 



A well (No. 5, Table 8) belonging to P. D. Cory, about 300 yards 
southeast of the public well, is 318 feet deep. Sand and alternate 
layers of sand and marl with shells were penetrated to 270 feet. The 
water-bearing bed is reported to be below 300 feet. 

A well (No. 7, Table 8) owned by George W. Corson, one-half mile 
southwest of Keller, is reported to be 340 feet deep. The water rises 
18 feet above the surface. 



BRYAN COUNTY. 159 

In a well (No. 8, Table 8) owned, by J. A. Smith, 2 miles south of 
Keller, the principal water-bearing bed is at 320 feet. Rock was 
entered, at 310 feet. The water rises 10 feet above the surface. 

There are several other wells at Keller, but no information con- 
cerning them was obtained. 

Fort McAllister. — Fort McAllister is on Bayou Neck on the west 
bank of Ogeechee River, 7 miles southeast of Ways, and is the site 
of an old fort dating back to the Revolutionary War and to Indian 
times. In former daj^s there were large plantations in this vicinity, 
but now the population is sparse. There are three artesian wells on 
the old Ward plantation. Mr. Sibley, who lives on the place, states 
that these wells were drilled in 1891-1893 for irrigating rice fields 
and for general plantation uses. Two of them are 6 inches and one 
is 8 inches in diameter. The 8-inch well is variously reported as 
700 feet deep and as 1,800 feet deep. One of the 6-inch wells is 900 
feet deep; the depth of the other was not ascertained. The 8-inch 
well (No. 3, Table 8) yields an enormous amount of water which, 
however, is not at present used. Shortly after the completion of 
the well a storm overturned the scaffolding about the casing, breaking 
the pipe 10 or 12 feet below the surface, and the break was never 
repaired. The water "boils" up in great quantities and has formed 
a "well spring" or basin 10 or 12 feet deep, from which it flows out 
through the marsh and into Ogeechee River. It is difficult to esti- 
mate the flow but it probably exceeds 1,500 gallons per minute. 
There has been no apparent decrease in the yield since the completion 
of the well. 

A 900-foot well is located on the public road near the bank of 
Ogeechee River in the vicinity of Fort McAllister. (See analysis 1, 
Table 9.) 

Artesian flows are also obtained in this vicinity at depths less than 
those already described. One such well (No. 4, Table 8) on the farm 
of Mrs. M. C. Williams on Genesis Cape, a short distance from the 
Ward plantation, is only 198 feet deep. 

Pembroke (population 467, census of 1910). — Pembroke is on the 
Seaboard Air Line Railway in the northwestern part of the county, 
101 feet above sea level. The domestic water supply is derived in 
part from driven and dug wells 15 to 30 feet deep and in part from 
deep wells. In 1909 the town completed an artesian well 475 feet 
deep (No. 10, Table 8), from which some of the people obtain water 
for domestic use and for stock. The water rises to within 20 feet of 
the surface. 

Mayor J. O. Strickland, has furnished the following information 
concerning a deep well from which the greater part of the population 
obtains water for domestic use: 



160 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

The well (No. 11, Table 8) is 100 yards west of the post office and 
is owned by U. S. Williams. It is 520 feet deep and 6 inches in 
diameter and was drilled in 1906 at a cost of $625. Ten-inch casing 
was inserted to 125 feet, 8-inch casing to 350 feet, and 6-inch casing 
to 500 feet. Water-bearing beds were found at 120, 250, 350, and 
520 feet. The water from the 520-foot stratum, the principal water- 
bearing bed, rises to within 21 feet of the surface, and is lifted to the 
surface by a force pump operated by a gasoline engine. 

Mr. Williams's well probably taps a water-bearing bed of Eocene 
age. (See analysis 2, Table 9.) 

Clijde (population 107, census of 1910). — Clyde, the county seat, 
has two artesian wells, one of which (No. 2, Table 8) was drilled in 
1898 by the county and is 290 feet deep. At 4 feet above the surface 
it furnishes a flow of sulphurous water, which is said not to have 
decreased. 

Roding. — Three artesian wells are reported at Roding, 3 miles south 
of Clyde. 

Ossabaw Island. — Several flowing wells at Ossabaw Island are 
reported to be 300 to 500 feet deep. 

Belfast. — There are two flowing wells at Belfast, one of which 
(No. 1, Table 8) is reported to be 450 feet deep. The wells are used 
by a lumber company for boiler supply, and by the people of the 
village for domestic uses. 

Table 8. — Wells in Bryan County. 



No. 



Location. 



Owner. 



Driller. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 



Belfast 

Clyde , 

Fort McAllister 
(Bayou Neck). 

Fort McAllister 

Keller 

do. 



Keller (£ mile south- 
west)." 
Keller (2 miles south). 

Ossabaw Island 

Pembroke 



.do. 



Ways (i mile west of 

Ogeechee River). 
Ways 

Ways (2 miles south- 
east) .a 



A lumber company . 
County 

Ward plantation . . . 



Mrs. M. C Williams. 

P.D.Cory 

Public 

G. W. Corson 



E. D. Cory. 



E. D.Cory.. 
Albert Wise. 
Mr. Sibley.. 



J. A. Smith. 



E.D.Cory... 
A. E. Cory... 

E. D. Cory... 



P. D.Corv.... 
E. D. Cory.'... 
G.W.Corson. 

J.A.Smith... 



Town 

U.S.Williams. 



E. M. Haywood 

&Co. 
do 



W. K. Smith. 



1S98 
1891-93 



1895 
1908 



Seaboard Ah Line 
Railway. 

Bailey Carpenter 

R. A. Raines 



Paul T. Haskell 



J. O. Strickland, 

mayor. 
S.W.McCalliea.. 



....do- 
Driller . 



1909 
1906 
1895 



1909 



Feet. 



15 
3-10 



101 
101 
18 
18 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 60-62, 190S. 



BRYAN" COUNTY. 
Table 8. — Wells in Bryan County — Continued. 



161 





Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained . 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


.Fee*. 
450 


Inches. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feel. 


Galls. 


Galls. 


Flows 




9 


290 


3 


290 
I 




+ 4 


12 

/ 1,500- 
\ 2,000 






Sulphurous. 


3 


/ 700? f j? 


} 


Flows 


4 


\ 1,800? 

198 
318 

325 

340 
320? 


I 8 


1 






do 




5 


2 
2| 


300 
310 










do 




fi 


1 40 
\ 90 


+18 
+ 10 


20 






Do. 


7 






Do. 


8 


320 










Do. 


q 














10 


475 


4 
6 
3 

14 

2 






-20 

+20 

+25 
+36 






Pumped by hand. 
Gasoline engine. .. 




1] 520 


520 
440 


f 120 

\ 250 

I 350 

340 






/See analysis 2,Table 
Hard. 


I 9 


460 
345 
350 






13 








Do. 


14 


340 

























No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Domestic, 
supply. 

Domestic. 

Domestic, 
tion. 


boiler 


Tertiary 

do 






9 




Do. 


3 


irriga- 


Tertiary? 




Three wells. 


4 








5 


Domestic. 
do 




do.... 






6 




do 


Limestone 


Water formerly rose 18 feet above sur- 
face. Costofwell,$125. Seelog,p.l58. 
Cost of well, $150. 


7 


do 


do 


8 


...do 




do 




Eight or more wells. 
Several wells. 


9 








in 


Domestic. 
do 










n 




do 




Cost of well, $625. Cost of machinery, 
$1,200. See also p. 160. 


i? 


Boiler supp 

mestic 
Domestic. 
do 


ly, do- 


Eocene? 




i? 


do 






14 




do 

















Table 9. — Analyses of well waters from Bryan County. 
[Parts per million.] 



Silica (Si0 2 ) 

Iron(Fe) 

Calcium (Ca) 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Sodium and potassium (Na+K). 

Carbonate radicle (CO3) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3) 

Sulphate radicle (SO4) 

Nitrate radicle (NO3) 

Chlorine (CI) 

Total dissolved solids 



31 


34 


.4 


2.0 


29 


22 


15 


8.0 


10 


22 


.0 


.0 


166 


140 


Trace. 


8.0 




3.0 


8.0 


10 


206 


171 



1. Well 900 feet deep, near Ogeechee River near Fort McAllister, 7 miles southeast of Ways. Age of 
water-bearing bed, Tertiary. Sample collected Apr. 12, 1911. Edgar Everhart, analyst. 

2. Well No. 11, Table 8. Sample collected Dec. 17, 1912. Edgar Everhart, analyst. 

38418°— wsp 341—15 11 



162 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

BULLOCH COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Bulloch. County is in the east-central part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Statesboro, the county seat, is 54 miles by railroad north- 
west of Savannah. The area of the county is 887 square miles and 
its population is 26,464 (census of 1910). The chief industries are 
agriculture and the production of lumber and naval stores. Surface 
and underground waters are used for boiler supply by many sawmills 
and cotton gins and by small manufacturing concerns at Statesboro. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The southern part is flat and poorly drained; the northern part is 
more elevated and is gently rolling or undulating. The transition 
from one part to the other is not sharply denned. The approximate 
line of separation runs from Ogeechee River, opposite Egypt, south- 
west across the county to Canoochee River, a short distance above 
Groveland, Bryan County. On the southern plain bays are common 
and small branches or creeks spread out through dense swamps 
•without well-defined channels. Although no accurate figures are 
available the elevations in the rolling section in the north are prob- 
ably from 200 to 250 feet above sea level. A swamp, which fringes 
Ogeechee River and is in places a mile or more wide, is the lowest 
elevation in the county, being not more than 40 or 50 feet above sea 
level in the extreme southeast. It is bordered by two relatively 
narrow terrace plains, one lying 8 to 10 feet and the other 30 to 40 
feet above it. 

GEOLOGY. 

Throughout the greater part of the county, except in a narrow area 
bordering Ogeechee River, the surface materials comprise ferruginous 
argillaceous sands and drab sandy clays, weathering to gray or yellow 
residual quartz sands. These surface deposits and the thin Pleisto- 
cene deposits of sand and clay on the river terraces and flatwoods 
lands in the southern part of the county are the source of the waters 
obtained from shallow wells. The Alum Bluff formation outcrops in 
the narrow area of lowland bordering Ogeechee River, and doubtless 
is present beneath the surface materials throughout the entire county. 
The Alum Bluff formation, which probably does not exceed 200 feet 
in thickness and is in many places probably much thinner, is under- 
lain by a series of undifferentiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls, 
which in descending order are of Oligocene, Eocene, and Cretaceous 
age. At an undetermined depth, probably 2,000 feet or more, the 
Cretaceous deposits rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. 



BULLOCH COUNTY. 163 



WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 



Shallow wells 10 to 40 feet deep furnish the chief water supplies for 
domestic use in the villages and rural districts. 

There are small seepage springs throughout the county but most 
of them are located on the edges of swamps, and some of them are 
unfit for domestic use. 

The spring waters usually have a strong taste of iron and where 
the waters come in contact with decaying vegetation an iridescent 
film of iron oxide, sometimes mistaken for oil, forms on the surface. 
An analysis of water from a small spring located 3^ miles southwest 
of Register and owned by J. W. Atwood is given in Table 10 
(analysis 1). This water is probably typical of the spring waters. 

The only deep wells reported in the county are at Statesboro. 

Flowing artesian wells can probably be obtained in the lowland 
bordering Ogeechee River at elevations of 100 to 130 feet above sea 
level, for such wells have been obtained at these elevations at Rocky- 
ford and Dover in the adjoining county of Screven. It is also 
probable that flows can be obtained on the lowest land bordering 
Canoochee River. An abundant supply of water may be expected 
anywhere in the county at depths of 500 or 600 feet. Water-bearing 
beds of Cretaceous age probably exist at depths of 1,000 feet or more. 



LOCAL SUPPLIES. 



Statesboro (population 2,529, census of 1910). — Statesboro, the only 
town in the county having a water-supply system, obtains water 
from two artesian wells. No detailed information has been obtained 
concerning the older of the two wells, but the second (drilled in 1912) 
is 555 feet deep and penetrates water-bearing strata between 400 
and 555 feet. This well was drilled by the Hughes Specialty Well 
Drilling Co., of Charleston, S. C, from which company the data here 
given, including the log, were obtained. Ten-inch casing extends to 
40 feet and 8-inch casing to 320 feet. 



164 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



Log of town well No. 2, at Statesboro. 
[Authority, J. R. Connelly, driller in charge, 96 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, S. C] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Soft yellow sand and clay in alternate layers 

Light-colored hard sandstone 

Light-colored soft sand 

Light-colored marl and sand 

Light-colored Chalky material 

Light-colored tough rock 

Light-colored soft sand 

Tough 1 ight-colored rock and sand in alternate layers 

Light-colored hard rock 

Tough 1 ight-colored rock and sand in alternate layers 

Soft white chalky material 

Hard white rock 

Medium-hard white sand and rock in alternate layers 

Medium-hard dark-brown shell rock, water bearing 

Light brown shell rock with interbedded hard layers, water bearing. 



Feet. 
40 
30 
10 
20 
20 
20 
20 
60 
20 
40 
50 
30 
40 
60 
95 



Feet. 
40 
70 
80 
100 
120 
140 
160 
220 
240 
280 
330 
360 
400 
460 
555 



The record is not sufficient to permit the correlation of the strata, 
but the well may have completely penetrated the Oligocene and have 
entered the upper part of the Eocene. 

There are several other artesian wells at Statesboro, but no detailed 
information concerning any one of them has been obtained. An 
analysis of the water from a well 320 feet deep, owned by W. D. 
Davis, is given in Table 10 (analysis 2). 

Table 10. — Analyses of waters from Bulloch County. 
[Parts per million.] 



Silica(Si0 2 ) 

Iron(Fe) 

Aluminum (Al) 

Calcium (Ca) 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Sodium (Na) 

Potassium (K) 

Carbonate radicle (CO3) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3) - 

Sulphate radicle (SOO 

Chlorine (CI) 

Total dissolved solids 

Free carbon dioxide (CO2). . 



4.8 
3.5 

,2 
LI 

.6 
4.5 

.3 



74 

.9 
6.3 
29 



43 
a 5.0 

"i.'5 

.8 

2.9 

2.7 

.0 

3.4 

3.4 

6.8 

69 

3.0 



a Fe 2 03+Al 2 03. 

1. Spring of J. W. Atwood, 3i miles southwest of Register. Age of water-bearing bed, Oligocene? 
Analyzed December, 1909; Edgar Everhart, analyst. 

2. Well of W. D. Davis at Statesboro; depth 320 feet. Edgar Everhart, analyst (Georgia Geol. Survey 
Bull. 15, p. 62, 1908). 

BURKE COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 



Burke County is in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Waynesboro, the county seat, is 32 miles south of Augusta. 
The area of the county is 956 square miles and its population is 27,268 
(census of 1910). Agriculture is the principal industry. 



BTJEKE COUNTY. 165 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county lies in the topographic division of the Coastal Plain 
known as the f all-line hills (pp . 29-3 1 ) . The surface is, in part, moder- 
ately broken or hilly and in part nearly level. The streams have cut 
valleys 50 to 150 feet deep, but erosion has not advanced to maturity 
and relatively broad flat ridges or small plateaus exist between the 
water courses. The principal streams of the county are Savannah 
River, the second largest stream in the State, which forms the eastern 
boundary, Ogeechee River, which forms the southwestern boundary, 
and Briar Creek. Savannah River, which is navigable from Augusta 
to the sea, has cut its valley about 150 feet below the level of the 
upland plain to the west and is in places bordered by high steep bluffs. 
As it rises in mountainous regions and flows through the Piedmont 
Plateau, its water is more or less muddy during the greater part of the 
year. Ogeechee River rises in the Piedmont Plateau, but its water 
is not always muddy and throughout the lower part of its course 
it resembles streams originating in the Coastal Plain. The river 
flows through a wide, dense swamp and has few bluffs. Above the 
swamp is a habitable terrace plain upon which abundant flows of 
artesian water are obtained. Briar Creek, a clear stream of con- 
siderable size, flows southeastward through the county. 

Lime sinks and ponds occur on the comparatively level areas in the 
southwestern and southeastern parts of the county, but they are not 
abundant and are not characteristic of the topography as a whole. 

The known elevations above sea level are at Waynesboro, Central of 
Georgia Railway station, 286 feet; Shell Bluff Landing, low water, 
87 feet, top of bluff, 237 feet; Midville, 186 feet; and Keysville (rough 
estimate), 400 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

The surface materials belong mainly to the Claiborne group, which 
is divisible into the McBean formation and the Barnwell sand. The 
McBean formation, which consists of 300 or 350 feet of sands, marls, 
clays, and limestones that outcrop along the streams, is an important 
source of water both in this and adjoining counties. The water- 
bearing beds are believed to be of local extent, for the strata, as seen in 
natural outcrops, lack constant lithologic characters. The Barnwell 
sand overlies the McBean formation and is the surface formation over 
the greater part of the county. It consists of red, highly ferruginous 
sands and mottled argillaceous sands, in which there are thin beds of 
sandstone and quartzite and fragments of flint. 

The Claiborne group is underlain by Cretaceous sands and clays, 
which in the northern part of the county along Briar Creek, McBean 
Creek, and Savannah River probably lie 100 to 250 feet beneath the 
surface and which from Waynesboro southward would lie at depths 



166 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

of 350 to 500 feet. Igneous and inetamorphic rocks, which will 
probably be found at depths of 1 7 000 to 1,500 feet, form the basement 
upon which the Cretaceous deposits rest. 

The Claiborne group is overlain in relatively small areas in the 
central and southeastern parts of the county by sand and some gravel 
of undetermined age. The Central of Georgia Railway passes over 
these deposits from Waynesboro to the southern boundary of the 
county, and similar deposits have been recognized in the vicinity of 
Girard and Sardis. 

Gray or yellow residual sands are prominent at the surface at a 
number of places but do not attain any considerable thickness. 
These sands are conspicuous near Keysville, Girard, and on the 
upland along Savannah River. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The main sources of domestic water supply are shallow dug and 
bored wells 30 to 75 feet deep. Water from many of the shallow 
wells is considered unwholesome, but the poor quality is probably 
due to contamination resulting from improper construction of the 
wells rather than to harmful inorganic constituents. In some parts 
of the county the shallow wells penetrate calcareous materials and 
the waters are hard. 

Streams and ponds furnish an abundance of water for stock and 
for other purposes. 

Springs are of local importance as sources of domestic supply. 
Several limestone springs, each of which yields large quantities of 
hard water, occur in the western and eastern parts of the county. 
Davis Spring, a mile west of Gough, is reported to yield sufficient 
water to operate a small gristmill. Many small springs throughout 
the county furnish pure water. An analysis of water from Cox 
Spring, located 1 mile northeast of Shell Bluff post office, is given 
in Table 12 (analysis 1). 

Throughout the county abundant potable water can be obtained 
by deep wells from either the Claiborne group or the underlying 
Cretaceous sands, the latter of which will probably yield soft waters. 
Flowing artesian wells have been obtained in the vicinity of Midville 
and in the valley of a tributary of Briar Creek near Waynesboro; it 
is probable that flows can also be obtained along the lowlands bor- 
dering McBean Creek, Briar Creek, and Savannah River in the 
eastern part cf the county. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Waynesboro. — Waynesboro, the county seat, has a population of 
2,729 (census of 1910). The city owns a public water-supply system 
which draws from an artesian well on low ground near the Central of 



BURKE COUNTY. 167 

Georgia Railway station. The well (No. 7, Table 11) is about 300 
feet deep and flows 25 gallons a minute a few feet above the surface. 
The water is slightly hard but has proved satisfactory for general 
domestic purposes. 

According to Fuller and Sanford, 1 a well (No. 8, Table 11) owned 
by J. I. Linler, on low ground a quarter of a mile east of Waynesboro, 
is 249 feet deep, 6 inches in diameter, and flows 20 gallons per minute 
at 4^- feet above the surface. The principal water-bearing bed is at 
a depth of 160 feet. 

The following information relating to wells at Waynesboro is 
quoted from a report by McCallie: 2 

There are two deep wells at Waynesboro, one owned by Mr. W. A. Wilkins [No. 5, 
Table 11], and the other by the Southern Cotton Seed Oil Co. [No. 6, Table 11]. The 
former well, which was put down in 1888, is reported to have a depth of 889 feet. 
Water-bearing strata are said to occur in this well at depths of 250, 300, and 889 feet. 
The water supply at present is obtained from the upper stratum. The water rises to 
within 14 feet of the surface and is said to be of good quality. 

Mr. R. G. Edenfield of Augusta, Ga., has furnished the writer with a number of 
samples of borings from this well on which the following notes have been made: 

[Log of well of W. A. Wilhins at Waynesboro {No. 5, Table 11).] 

Feet. 

Fine red sand to 60 

Yellow sand to 150 

Coarse white sand with fragments of shells to 230 

Rather coarse gray sand to 240 

Sandy marl to 290 

Fine yellow sand to 310 

Very coarse sand with dark-colored pebbles, numerous minute 

crystals of gypsum, and fragments of tough gray clay to 340 

Coarse sand to 360 

Dark sandy clay with sharks' teeth to 380 

Coarse sand to 410 

The same as above to 500 

Coarse sand, mixed with red micaceous clay to 700 

Considerable limestone and flint are reported to occur in- the Wilkins well; but their 
depth from the surface and the thickness could not be ascertained. 

The Southern Cotton Seed Oil Co.'s well [No. 6, Table 11] has a depth of about 200 
feet. It is 6 inches in diameter and furnishes daily by pumping 1,200 gallons of water, 
which supplies the oil mill and a number of residences in the town. The water rises 
to within 19 feet of the surface and is of good quality. 

An analysis of water from the Southern Cotton Seed Oil Co.'s 
well is given in Table 12 (analysis 2). 

The well of W. A. Wilkins at Waynesboro (depth, 889 feet) 
undoubtedly completely penetrates the Claiborne group and enters 
the upper part of the Cretaceous. The thickness of the Claiborne 
group at Waynesboro is believed not to exceed 500 feet, this opinion 
being based on the evidence furnished by the well borings from Mr. 
Wilkins's well. 

1 U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 298, p. 50, 1908. Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 63, 64, 1908. 



168 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Midville (population 603, census of 1910). — -Midville, the second 
largest town in the county, is on the Central of Georgia Railway near 
Ogeechee River, in the southwestern part of the county. The town 
has no public water-supply system but has one public flowing well 
and many private flowing wells, which furnish the principal sup- 
plies for domestic use. The artesian waters are sulphurous and emit 
a rather pronounced odor of hydrogen sulphide, but are clear and 
potable. They are moderately hard, for they contain calcium car- 
bonate, for which reason river water is preferred for use in boilers. 

The artesian wells range in depth from 157 to 750 feet and yield 
strong flows, the maximum yield reported being 75 gallons per 
minute. The static head in the various wells ranges from 14 to 47 
feet above the surface. According to reports, water-bearing beds 
have been entered at 50, 150, 190, 200, 295, 300, 450, and 700 feet. 

The deepest well (No. 4, Table 11) concerning which information 
has been obtained is owned by A. W. Jones, who states that it is 750 
feet deep and flows 75 gallons per minute and that the water will 
rise 47 feet above the surface. The principal water-bearing bed is 
at 700 feet; other water-bearing beds are found at 200, 300, and 450 
feet. An attempt was made several years ago to utilize the combined 
pressure of this and two other wells in operating a small electric-light 
plant, but the power was found to be inadequate. 

McCallie * has published the following log of the public well at 

Midville : 

Log of public well at Midville. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Soil 

White sand 

Limestone, with underground stream of water 

Limestone, pebbles with shells and sharks' teeth . . 
Limestone, with an underground stream of water. 
Honeycombed water-bearing rock 



Feet. 
10 
25 
20 
50 
6 
46 



Feet. 
10 
35 
55 
105 
111 
157 



The water-bearing beds tapped by most of the wells at Midville 
are in the Claiborne group. With the exception of the 750-foot 
Jones well (No. 4, Table 11) probably none of them reach the 
Cretaceous. 

Greens Cut. — At Greens Cut a well owned by H. C. Reese, drilled 
in 1907, is reported to be 289 feet deep and 3 inches in diameter and 
is cased to a depth of 200 feet. The water, which is derived princi- 
pally from a gravel bed at a depth of 280 feet, rises to within 77 feet 
of the surface and is hard and unsuitable both for laundry and boiler- 
supply purposes but is clear and is a good drinking water. 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 65, 1908. 



BURKE COUNTY. 



169 



A well owned by W. E. Rhodes, located 5 miles west of Greens Cut, 
is reported to be 290 feet deep. 

Gough. — -At Gough, private wells from 30 to 75 feet deep are the 
mam source of supply. A well at this place, drilled to a depth of 
400 feet, in which water rose to within 45 feet of the surface, has been 
abandoned on account of the entrance of sand into the boring. 

Girard (population 227, census of 1910). — At Girard several non- 
flowing artesian wells range in depth from 200 to 300 feet. The 
prospects of obtaining artesian flows on the terrace bordering Briar 
Creek near Girard are good. The town has no public water supply 
and water is obtained chiefly from dug wells 30 to 40 feet deep. 

Table 11. — Wells in Burke County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 

com- 
pleted. 


Eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level or 
below 
datum. 


1 












Feet. 


•?, 














3 




H. C. Reese 






1907 
1901 
1888 


+280 


4 




Allen W . Jones 

W. A. WiUdns 


W. H. Brown... 


Allen W. Jones 

R. G.Edenfieid.... 
S.W. McCalliea... 


+186 


5 




+286 


6 


do 


Southern Cotton 

Seed Oil Co. 
City.. 




+286 




do 




W. E. Fambrough. 


1905 


+286 


S 


do 




H. F. Loyd, 
Millen, Ga. 


c— 15 













Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 

200,300 

400 

289 

750 

889 
200 
300 

249 


Inches. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Galls. 


Galls. 






9 








-45 

-77 

+47 

-14 
-19 

+ 5 
+ 4J 










3 


3 
5 

6 
6 


280 
700 
250 


250 

200,300 

450 

300, 889 






Windmill and 

deep well pump. 

Flows 


Hard. 


4 


75 




Do. 


5 






6 




2 




Analysis 2, Table 12. 
Slightly hard. 
Soft. 


7 


300 
160 




25 150-200 
20 


Airlift 


8 















a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 63, 64, 1908. 
6 U. S. Geol.' Survey Bull. 298, p. 50, 1908. 
c Level below railroad track at station. 



170 UNDERGROUND WATERS OE COASTAL PLAIN OE GEORGIA. 
Table 11. — Wells in Burke County — Continued. 



No. 


1 le , 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 








Nonflowing,. 


?, 








3 




Claiborne group... 
Cretaceous 


White gravel 




4 


do 


§225; 3-inch casing extends to a depth 

of 200 feet. 
Rock struck at a depth of 550 feet; 5- 

inch casing to 700 feet. Cost of well, 

S600. 
See log, p. 167. 


5 






6 


Domestic and oil 

mill. 
City supply 






7 


do..- 






8 


Domestic, manu- 
facture of ice. 


do 


Soft rock and sand. 


6-inch casing to 125 feet. Cost of well, 
$500. 







Table 12. — Analyses of waters from Burlce County. 
[Parts per million.] 



Silica (Si0 2 ) 

Iron(Fe) 

Aluminum (Al) 

Calcium (Ca) 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Sodium (Na) 

Potassium ( K) 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) . 

Sulphate radicle (SO.)) 

Chlorine (CI) 

Total dissolved solids 

Free carbon dioxide (CO2) . . 



7.4 
2.8 
1.6 
50 
1.3 
1.6 



16 
a 6.1 



161 
.5 
5.2 

147 



02 
2.0 
3.6 
1.7 
.0 
201 
3.7 
7.0 
198 
82 



a Fe 2 03+Al 2 03. 

1. Cox Spring, located a mile northeast of Shell Bluff post office. Age of water-bearing bed, Claiborne. 
Analyzed in 1907 by Edgar Everhart. 

2. Well No. 6, Table 11. Edgar Everhart, analyst. (Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 64, 1908.) 

CALHOUN COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Calhoun County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia, between Flint and Chattahoochee rivers. Its area is 284 
square miles and its population 11,334 (census of 1910). Agricul- 
ture and the production of lumber and naval stores are the chief 
industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is nearly level to slightly rolling. Lime sinks, isolated 
or connected by streams or swamps are notable. The elevation above 
sea level is about 150 feet in the southeast corner of the county and 
about 350 feet in the northwest corner, these being the extremes. 
The valleys are shallow and the streams have very low banks. In 
places the channels are clogged by logs and other vegetation and the 



CALHOUN COUNTY. 171 

water spreads out through broad swamps. The stream divides are 
as a rule not more than 50 feet above the bottoms of the valleys. 

GEOLOGY. 

Except in several relatively small areas the county is everywhere 
directly underlain by the Vicksburg formation. At the surface the 
materials of the Vicksburg appear as red argillaceous sands, the residual 
products of weathering, containing both beds and scattered fragments 
of flint. Soft white limestones are found at depths of 25 to 75 feet. 
Well drillers report the materials penetrated between the surface and 
the limestone as consisting generally of "clay" or of "clay and sand." 
The formation where un weathered consists mainly of cavernous water- 
bearing limes tones interbedded with water-bearing sands. 

A small area along Ichawaynochaway Creek near Cordray Mill, in 
the northern part of the county, is underlain by strata of the Clai- 
borne group and probably of the Jackson formation, both of which 
dip southward and pass beneath the Vicksburg formation. Beneath 
the Claiborne are several hundred feet of Eocene sands, clays, and 
marls, with thin interbedded layers of limestone or sandstone, be- 
longing to the Wilcox or Midway formations or to both. Cretaceous 
sands and clays, which probably have an aggregate thickness of 2,000 
feet or more, underlie the Eocene, and at an undetermined depth rest 
upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. Both the Eocene and 
Cretaceous will furnish large supplies of artesian water. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Over the greater part of the county water for domestic use is 
obtained from wells 15 to 60 feet deep. The waters of wells which 
reach the limestones are regarded by the people as unwholesome; but 
as no analyses of the waters are available the reason for their unsat- 
isfactory character is not known. The shallow wells frequently fail 
during droughts. Small springs are numerous, but none of large size 
are known. 

Artesian wells have been drilled at Arlington, Leary, Edison, Mor- 
gan, and on several plantations. Artesian water can probably be 
obtained anywhere in the county at depths of 300 to 1,500 feet or 
more, and the chances for obtaining flows are good on the lower land 
in the eastern part of the county. (See map, PL XVIII, p. 122.) 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Arlington (population 1,308, census of 1910). — The principal source 
of water supply at Arlington is an artesian well (No. 2, Table 13) 
1,173 feet deep, completed in 1909. The water is soft, clear, and 
slightly sulphurous, and has proved satisfactory for all purposes. 



172 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

(See analysis 1, Table 14.) The principal water-bearing bed is at 
640 feet and is said to be a porous white rock. The water rises to 
within 40 feet of the surface and the well yields 190 gallons of water 
per minute by pumping. 

A well (No. 1, Table 13) used at Arlington prior to the one described 
is said to have been about 600 feet deep. Spencer x gives the fol- 
lowing partial log: 

Partial log of well at Arlington. 

Feet. 

Chalky clay 20 

Sand and white clay (?) 

Shell rock 5 

Very coarse sand (?) 

Shell rock, etc to 355 

Hard rock, siliceous, with soft places to 390 

Hard dark clay to 500 (?) 

Coarse micaceous sand to 540 

The Arlington Oil & Fertilizer Co., at Arlington, owns a well 328 
feet deep. Other deep wells in the town have not been reported 
upon in detail. 

Leary (population 430, census of 1910). — The principal source of 
water supply at Leary is a public artesian well in the main part of the 
town, which flows 12 feet above the surface. It is described by 
McCallie as follows : 2 

The Leary well is 2 inches in diameter and 672 deet deep. The water rises 30 feet 
above the surface. Two or more water-bearing strata are reported in this well above 
the one which furnishes the flow, but their depths are not given. The capacity of 
this well is said to be about 20 gallons per minute. The water is used for steam and 
general domestic purposes. 

The following (partial) record is given : 

[Log of toivn well at Leary.] 

Feet. 

Red clay 40 

Limestone 20 

Blue clay 100? 

Hard rock 30 

Quicksand 200? 

Hard rock containing shells 10 

Some shallow wells in the town, 15 to 60 feet deep, fail during 
droughts. 

A fine flowing artesian well (No. 6, Table 13) on the Harper Daniel 
plantation, 4 miles south of Leary, is 778 feet deep and flows at the 
rate of 50 gallons per minute. Water-bearing beds were entered at 
100, 250, and 650 feet. The water emits a strong odor of hydrogen 
sulphide and is moderately hard, in this respect differing from waters 

1 Spencer, J. W., Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 77, 1891. 

2 Georgia Geol. Survey Bun. 15, p. 72, 1908. 



CALHOUN COUNTY. 173 

from about the same depths at Albany, Dougherty County (pp. 
235-238); Newton, Baker County (p. 137); and Blakely, Early 
County (p. 245). An analysis of this water is given in Table 14 
(analysis 3). 

A well on J. E. Boyd's plantation, 3 miles north of Leary, is said 
to have been drilled to a depth of 400 feet without obtaining a flow. 1 

Edison (population 841, census of 1910). — The town of Edison 
owns a public water-supply system, which is supplied from an artesian 
well near the railroad, but about 10 feet lower than the track at the 
station. The well is 563 feet deep and yields, by pumping, 215 
gallons of water per minute. The principal water-bearing bed is 
said to be a sand rock at 550 feet, probably belonging to the Ripley 
formation of the Cretaceous, from which the water rises to within 32 
feet of the surface. An analysis of the water is given in Table 14 
(analysis 2). 

Morgan (population 302, census of 1910). — Both shallow and arte- 
sian wells are in use in the vicinity of Morgan. Part of the popula- 
tion obtains water from a private well owned by Williams & Tinsley, 
which probably taps a water-bearing bed in the upper part of the 
Ripley formation. The following information has been furnished 
by W. J. Ragan: 

This well was completed in 1906; it is 600 feet deep, 6 inches in 
diameter, and flows 20 gallons per minute. The water will rise 8 
feet above the surface. 

Other wells similar to the Tinsley are those of T. J. Tinsley, a mile 
southwest of Morgan (No. 11, Table 13), of the Morgan Lumber Co., 
1| miles southwest of Morgan (No. 9, Table 13), of J. E. Boyd, 3 
miles north of Leary (No. 7, Table 13), and of T. J. and T. W. Tinsley, 
4 miles from Morgan (No. 12, Table 13). 

Cordray Mill. — At Cordray Mill, on Ichawaynochaway Creek, 5 
miles northeast of Morgan, are two flowing wells owned by W. H. 
Cobb, of Dawson. One on the bank of the creek near the mill is 
361 feet deep and flows 12 gallons per minute. The water will rise 
20 feet above the surface. 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 72, 1008. 



174 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 13. — Wells in Calhoun County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Eleva- 
tion 

above 

sea 
level or 

below 

datum. 


1 












Feet. 

+275 


? 


...do 


...do 


M. A . Jarrard . . . 


M. A. Jarrard 

S. W. McCallie b . . 


1909 


3 


do 


Arlington Oil & Fer- 
tilizer Co. 
Town 




4 




D. A. Sylvester. 


E.L. Smith 

S. W. McCallie . . 


1910 




5 




do 


+210 

+ 175 


e 

7 


Leary (4 miles south 

of). 
Leary (3 miles north 

of). 


Harper Daniel 

J.E.Boyd 


M. A. Jarrard. .. 


Harper Daniel and 
M. A. Jarrard. 


1907 


8 












q 


Morgan (H miles 
southwest of). 

Morgan (in town lim- 
its). 

Morgan (1 mile south- 
west of) . 

Morgan (4 miles from) 

Morgan (5 miles 
northeast of). 






W. J. Ragan 

.do 


1909 
1900 


+608 


in 






n 


T. J. Tinsley 




T. W. Tinsley 




12 
13 


T. J. and T. W. Tins- 
ley. 
W.H.Cobb 




do 

W.H.Cobb 


1908 




14 





























Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 

600± 
1,173 

328 

563 

672 

77S 

400 

COO 

550 

GOO 

550 

452 

361 


Inches. 
G 
6 
5 
6 
2 
2 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 
-20 
-40 


Galls. 


Galls. 






2 
3 


640 
300 

550-503 


900 




190 


Air compressor 


Analysis 1, Table 14. 


4 

5 


475 


-32 

+12 


20 
50 


215 


Air-lift pump 


Analysis 2, Table 14. 
Hard". 


n 


650-778 


100, 250 


do 


Analysis 3, Table 14. 








8 






+30 

+ 7 
+ 8 


25 
20 
20 
15 
15 
12 








Q 


2 

6 






do 


Sulphurous. 
Do. 


in 






...do 


11 


525 




..do 


Soft. 


l? 


4 430-440 




+30 
+20 
+ 5 


..do 


Do. 


13 


....do 




14 






....do 




















a Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 77, 1891. 
b Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 71-72, 1908. 
c Datum is track at railroad station. 



CAMDEN COUNTY. 

Table 16 — Wells in Calhoun County — Continued. 



175 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 








See log, p. 172. 

8-inch casing to 240 feet; 6-inch casing to 
360 feet. 







do 


Porous white rock. 


3 






4 


Municipal supply . 

Domestic, boiler 
supply. 


Ripley formation?. 
do 










S3, 000. 
See log, p. 172. 

4-inch casing to 100 feet; 2Hnch to 450 


fi 


do 


Porous white rock. 








feet; 2-inch to 475 feet; cost of well, 
$1,756. 


8 



















Diameter at top, 6 inches; at bottom, 2 
inches; cost of well, $1,500. 


in 


Boiler supply and 

domestic. 
Domestic and 
. manufacturing. 


do 




11 


..do 


Gravel and sand. . . 
Rock and sand 


inches; cost of well, $2,000. 
4 inch casing to 525± feet; cost of well 

$1,250. 
Cost of well, $1,000. 


T> 


Ripley formation?. 
Wilcox formation? 


13 


.do 


14 



















Table 14. — Analyses of underground waters from Calhoun County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 


May 1,1911 
May 5, 1911 
May 8, 1911 


Town well 

do 




Ripley formation. . 
Ripley formation? . 
Ripley formation. . 


Feet. 

640 

550-563 

650-778 


Edgar Everhart. 


2 




Do. 


3 


Well of Harper 
Daniel. 


Leary (4 miles 
south of). 


Do. 













m 


e 


o 


CB 


(B 




-d 
















o 


o 














O 




"3 1 
o 


"3 

a 




-3 

03 


-a 

03 

5o 




O 

-3 • 
nO 


6 


> 
o . 


Remarks. 




m 

03 




a 

3 


CD 


is 

.2 3 


ay 

a 

o 


03 


"o3~~' 
P, 


03 


© 

.a 


dg 
"3 




o 
SZ5 


33 


O 


03 
O 


03 


o m 
02 


03 


s 


3 

m 




a 

o 


o 

EH 




1 


25 


0.4 


10 


3.0 


57 


10 


150 


12 


0.1 


10 


233 


No. 2, Table 13. Total depth of well, 
1,173 feet. 


2 


17 


.2 


37 


2.0 


8.0 


2.0 


134 


10 


.1 


4.0 


162 


No. 4, Table 13. 


3 


18 


.6 


44 


5.0 


17 


7.0 


190 


8.0 


.2 


7.5 


186 


No. 6, Table 13. 



CAMDEN COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Camden County is on the Atlantic coast in the extreme southeast- 
ern part of the State. Its area is 711 square miles and its popula- 
tion 7,690 (census of 1910). It has no cities or large towns and no 
important manufacturing establishments. The production and ship- 
ment of lumber and naval stores and stock raising are its principal 
industries. 



176 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The eastern part of the county, a belt about 20 to 25 miles in 
width, is a low, sand-covered, marine terrace plain, in general less 
than 25 feet above sea level, which forms part of the Satilla coastal 
lowland (pp. 36-38). Along the coast and included in the Satilla 
coastal lowland are sand-covered islands which rise to a maximum 
of 20 feet above sea level, and which are separated by a network of 
tidal so-called creeks and rivers. There are also small areas of salt- 
water or brackish-water marsh. A narrow strip of level land in the 
western part of the county lies 25 to 30 feet above the first terrace 
plain and forms part of the Okefenokee plain (pp. 35-36). Nowhere 
in the county is the surface higher than 50 or 60 feet above sea level. 
Inland from the coast small streams are few in number and the surface 
is only slightly dissected; topographically it differs but little from 
its original condition. As a result of this lack of natural drainage 
there are large numbers of swampy flats or bays and small ponds 
which contain water throughout the year, except during times of 
unusual drought. 

GEOLOGY. 

Pleistocene sands and clays form the surface deposits over the 
greater part of the county. White or yellowish incoherent quartz 
sands cover the islands and the mainland near the coast, and a 
narrow sandy belt extends westward, fringing the swamp land of 
St. Marys and Satilla rivers. In the central and western parts of 
the county bluish or greenish muds or clays of Pleistocene age, in 
places containing oyster shells and calcareous nodules, locally underlie 
the flatwoods or savannah land. In most of the shallow driven wells 
the water is obtained from Pleistocene deposits, whose thickness prob- 
ably does not exceed 50 feet. In places, beneath surficial sands, 
there are red or mottled argillaceous sands the age of which has not 
been determined but which probably belong to the Pleistocene. 

Materials exposed at a few places on St. Marys River (Florida side) 
and on Satilla River have been referred to the Charlton formation 
(Pliocene?), but it may be doubted whether in descriptions of mate- 
rials given in well logs the Charlton formation can be discriminated 
from the Miocene deposits. Strata of Miocene age underlie the 
county, but their thickness and their relations to other formations are 
unknown. They are believed to consist mainly of phosphatic sands 
and gravels with some soft sandy shell marls and some relatively 
thin clays. The thickness of the Miocene is inferred to be small 
because fossils probably indicating the Chattahoochee formation 
were obtained from a well at Tarboro between the depths of 350 and 
400 feet, and because fossil' Bryozoa and Nummulites, probably 
indicating the Vicksburg formation, were obtained in a well at Kings- 



CAMDEN COUNTY. 177 

land between the depths of 450 and 482 feet. If these correlations are 
correct whatever representatives there are of the Alum Bluff forma- 
tion and of the Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene must all be in- 
cluded in a thickness not exceeding 350 feet. Little is known of the 
character of the deposits at depths greater than 500 feet. The 
basement crystalline rocks probably lie at a depth of 3,000 to 4,000 
feet. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The domestic water supply is obtained principally from artesian 
wells and from shallow driven wells. There are a few small springs, 
but as sources of supply these are of little importance, even locally. 

Thirty-six flowing wells have been reported from the county — one 
or more from every town or village at which there is a post office. 
They furnish an abundance of clear, wholesome water. The under- 
ground waters are also used in the locomotive boilers and sawmill 
plants. The principal objection to the artesian waters is that they 
are slightly hard and emit a rather disagreeable odor of hydrogen 
sulphide. The wells range in depth from 200 to 500 feet and furnish 
flows at elevations of 10 to 50 feet above the surface; they are put 
down at costs ranging from $250 to $800. So far as data have been 
obtained there has been no decrease in the supply which could be 
attributed to an overdrain on the artesian reservoirs. (See Table 15.) 

The shallow wells, 10 to 20 feet deep, driven or dug, furnish soft 
nonartesian waters which, however, are not so wholesome as artesian 
waters. Driven or bored wells are preferable to dug wells, because 
in them the water is protected by the pipe or casing from pollution. 

The prospects are good for obtaining flowing artesian wells through- 
out the county. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

St. Marys (population 691, census of 1910). — Two artesian wells at 
St. Marys supply water for domestic use and for all other purposes. 
McCallie * gives the following account of the public well 

The deep well at St. Marys, the county seat, is 4 inches in diameter and has a 
depth of 522 feet. The water-bearing strata occur in this well one at 300 feet and the 
other at 500 feet. The present water supply is obtained from the lower stratum, 
the upper stratum being cased off. The water from the former stratum rises 50 feet 
above the surface, or about 40 feet above high tide. The water is rather heavily 
charged with hydrogen sulphide and forms a white precipitate about the overflow 
pipes. 

A mineral analysis of the water from this well is given in Table 16 
(analysis 2). 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 67, 1908. 
38418°— wsp 341—15 12 



178 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Kingsland (population 190, census of 1910). — Four or more artesian 
wells at and near Kingsland supply an abundance of wholesome 
water. Open dug wells, 10 to 15 feet deep, are also used. 

The deepest artesian well, 647 feet deep, is about 250 yauds north 
of the railroad station and is owned by the Camden Naval Stores Co., 
the water being used chiefly for drinking and for condensing in the 
distillation of turpentine. H. C. Russell, the well contractor, has 
supplied information relating to the depth and character of the 
water-bearing strata. The first flow, which was found at 285 feet 
in a shell bed 6 feet thick, was 3 gallons per minute 4 feet above the 
surface. A second flow was encountered at 470 feet, the static head 
of which was 28 feet above the surface. The well was continued to 
647 feet, and although the yield increased to 80 gallons per minute 
there was no increase in the pressure. The material from depths of 
470 to 647 feet is fossiliferous or shell-bearing limestone with alter- 
nating hard and soft layers. (See analysis 1, Table 16.) 

From another well recently completed at Kingsland borings taken 
between the depths of 450 and 482 feet contained fossils, chiefly 
Bryozoa and Nummulites, which according to T. W. Yaughan are 
of Vicksburg age. 

Tarboro. — Tarboro, a small village 5 miles southwest of Whiteoak 
station, has four artesian wells which furnish strong flows. (See 
Nos. 16-18, Table 15.) The combined flow of three of them is utilized 
in operating a small rice and lumber mill. (See PL XIX, B, p. 152.) 
Flows are obtained from two beds, one at about 160 feet and the other 
between 350 and 400 feet. (See analysis 3, Table 16.) Fossils 
obtained from one of the wells between the depths of 375 and 400 feet 
were submitted to T. W. Vaughan, who considers the stratum from 
which they were taken as probably referable to the Chattahoochee 
formation. 

Table 15. — Wells in Camden County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 


1 


Baileys Mill (near) . . . 


L.M. Bedell 




S. W. McCallieo.. 
E. P. Noyes 

L. A. Miller 

O. H. Wade and 
S.W.McCallie.a 

U. L. Stafford 


1895 
1895? 

1889? 


Feet. 


?, 


Hilton & Dodge 
Lumber Co. 






3 


Cumberland Island.. 

Cumberland Island 
(Dungeness, near 
the southern end of 
the island). 




6 


4 








5 


W.N.Casey 


Mr. Clay 


1895 


40? 


6 


do 




7 


do 


Camden Naval 
Stores Co. 




H.C.Russell.... 


1910 


41 


8 








9 











a Georgia Geol. Survey bull. 16, pp. 67-71, 1908. 



CAMDEN COUNTY. 
Table 15.— Wells in Camden County — Continued. 



179 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 


10 








S. W. McCalliea.. 
H. W. Mobley 


1903 


Feet. 
20? 


11 


Pearl (4 miles west of) 
Satilla Bluff 


Davis & Brandon... 
Hilton & Dodge 

Lumber Co. 
J. F. Foster 


Dave Stafford. . . 




1? 


S. W. McCalliea.. 




20 


13 


.do 








20 


14 














15 






H.C.Russell.... 


S. W. McCallieo 

and J. S. Russell. 

S. W. McCallieo.. 




16 


16 




Stafford Bros 




17 


do... 


J. B. Godley 




do 


1902 




IS 


do 


W.C.Lang 








19 


Tarboro (1£ miles 
northeast of). 


J. S. Bruce 










?n 












21 

99 


Waverly (1 mile 

south of). 
Waverly (2£ miles 

north of). 
Waverly (4 miles west 

of). 
Waverly (600 feet 

northeast of). 
Waverly(90feet north 

of post office). 


Dr. B. Atkinson 

Georgia Land Co 


Dave Stafford... 


Postmaster 


1902? 




?3 


Dr. B. Atkinson 










?4 


T.G.Middleton&Co 

McKinnin & McCar- 
thy. 
T,. T. McTHnnon 




H. R. Lang 

do 


1911 

1911 

1894 

1908? 

1909 




?5 






?fi 




S. W. McCallie a. . 


5 


27 


do.. 






5 


28 


Woodbine 


Seaboard Air Line 


H. C. Russell... 


H. C. Russell 


22 











Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Height 

of 
water 
above 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
200 
365 
750 
680 
500 
75 
647 


Inches. 
2 
2 
3 
6 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Galls. 


Galls. 






? 


365 


400-500 
400 


32 

20 
51 
25 








Hard, sulphurous. 
Hard. 


3 








4 










ft 


2 350-500 


500 






Sulphurous. 


6 








Slight flow 

Flows 


7 


3 


470-647 


285 


28 


80 




Analysis 1, Table 16. 


8 




q 




















10 


370 
465 
340 
350 


2 
6 
2 
2 






25 

35 








Slightly sulphurous. 
Sulphurous. 
Slightly sulphurous. 
Do. 


n 


465 
340 
350 


300 

60,210 

250 


60 






i? 






13 








do 


14 












15 


522 
375 

350 

345 
414 


4 
8 

2 
2 
2 


500 
375 

350 


300 
175 

200 

250,300 

150 


40 
50 

40 
50 
50 








Sulphurous. Anal- 
ysis 2, Table 16. 

Slightly sulphurous. 
Analysis 3, Table 
16. 

Hard, sulphurous. 


16 








17 








18 








19 








Do. 


?0 










21 


350 
250? 
250? 
490 
490 
450 
365 
444 


2 
2 






10 

6-8 










?.?, 














23 














24 


2 
2 

4 






5 

5 

50 








Soft. 


25 












Do. 


26 


450 


130 








Hard, sulphurous. 
Sulphurous. 
Do. 


27 








28 


4 


436-444 


228-332 


50 



















a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 67-71, 1908. 



180 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



Table 15. — Wells in Camden County — Continued. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Miocene or Oligo- 

cene. 
Chatta h o o c h e e 

formation? 






? 


Boiler supply, do- 
mestic. 






? 




Cost of well, S250. 


4 




do 




Three other flowing wells, 400 to 700 

feet deep, on island. 
2-inch casmg, 350 feet. Cost of well, 

$300. 


5 


Domestic, boiler 
supply for loco- 
motives. 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 




6 




7 


Domestic, manu- 
facturing. 


do 


Bed of shells 


Cost of well, $400. 


s 




One flowing well. 
Do. 


q 








10 


Domestic, irriga- 
tion. 

Domestic, manu- 
facturing. 


Chatta hoochee 
formation? 

Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 

Chattahoochee 

formation? 
do 






n 




Cost of well, $300. 


1? 






13 








14 










15 


Domestic, boiler 
supply. 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 

Chatta hoochee 

formation? 
do 




Cost of well, $800. 


16 






17 


do 


Porous limestone 
at bottom. 


well, 1 inch. 


IS 


do 


do 




19 


do 


do 




and 300 feet. 


?n 










?1 


Domestic, boiler 
supply for lo- 
comotives. 


Chattahoochee for- 
mation. 






?,B 






?3 


Stock 








?4 




Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 
.. do 






?5 








?6 




do .. 






27 


do 


Chattahoochee for- 
mation? 

Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 






Wt 




Bed of shells 


Cost of well, $400; 4-inch casing to 188 
feet. 







Table 16. — Analyses of underground waters from Camden County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 


June 7,1911 

May 6,1911 
Apr. 14,1911 


Well of Camden 
Naval Stores 
Co. 

Town well 

Well of Stafford 
Bros. 


Kingsland 


Tertiary 

Vicksburg for- 
mation? 

Chattahooc h e e 
formation? 


Feet. 
470-647 

500-522 
350-375 


Edgar Everhart. 
Do. 


3 


Tarboro 


Do. 













, 


© 


a 


a> 


<D 




o 














































o 


















O 

3 


Eh 


■3" 
o 

a - 


a 

'% 


■at 

03 z; 

a? 


03 

"o3° 


03 

So 

oM 


03^. 

<sco 


O 


5 

0> 


3 
» 

° C 

o3 o3 

^a 


> 

51 


Remarks. 




03 




ft 


.2 3 


& 


a 


fl 


03 


o 


03 


"o1 






s 


o 


03 
O 


03 


o 




s 


3 


£ 


3 
o 


O 
> 


O 

Eh 




1 


41 


2.0 


74 


35 


23 


0.0 


229 


131 




26 




484 


No. 7, Table 15. 


2 


43 


.4 


73 


8.0 


60 


.0 


152 


170 


Tr. 


33 




504 


No. 15, Table 15. 


3 


36 


.4 


45 


26 


17 


.0 


178 


92 


1.5 


14 




323 


No. 16, Table 15. 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 181 
CHARLTON COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Charlton County is in southeastern Georgia and borders Florida. 
It has an area of 905 square miles and a population of 4,722 (census 
of 1910). The county is thinly settled and contains no large towns. 
Lumbering, turpentine distilling, and stock raising are the principal 
industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The eastern part of the country is a flat sand-covered plain; the 
western part is covered by the Okefenokee Swamp and is practically 
uninhabited. St. Marys and Satilla rivers have cut relatively deep 
courses and are bordered by flat terrace plains about 15 feet above 
the river levels; both are sluggish and are affected by the tide, the 
St. Marys to a few miles above Traders Hill and the Satilla to a few 
miles above Burnt Fort. Although the main streams have cut down 
almost to grade, the tributary streams, which are few in number, 
have effected but little erosion and topographically the surface is 
youthful. Small ponds and swamps are common. The known ele- 
vations above sea level are Folkston, 80; Racepond, 148 (probably 
the highest point in the county); Wfinwright, 83; St. George, 78: 
and Moniac, 114. 

GEOLOGY. 

Loose white and yellow quartz sands, probably nowhere exceeding 
20 feet in thickness, form the surface over the entire county. These 
sands are very porous and absorb the rainfall readily. They are 
underlain by 50 feet or less of red and white sands containing thin 
bluish clay layers, the age of which is not certainly known but which 
is believed to be Pleistocene. The surface sands and the under- 
lying red and white sands furnish the water of the shallow wells. 
The red and white sands are underlain by the Charlton formation 
(probably Pliocene), which consists of clays, limestones, and marls 
that are exposed on St. Marys River from near Stokes Ferry down- 
stream to Orange Bluff, 2 miles above Kings Ferry, Ga., and on 
Satilla River at Burnt Fort, on land of W. M. Thrift, 6 miles east of 
Winokur and on the King plantation, 6 miles south of Atkinson. 
The Charlton formation probably underlies a small area in the eastern 
part of the county. Beneath the Charlton are strata of probable 
Miocene age, and beneath the Miocene are 100 feet or more of sands 
and clays belonging to the Alum Bluff formation (Oligocene). Un- 
differentiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls, which belong in 
descending order to the Eocene and Cretaceous, underlie the Alum 
Bluff formation. At an undetermined depth, probably 3,000 feet or 
more, the Cretaceous deposits are believed to rest upon a basement 



182 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

of ancient crystalline rocks. Water-bearing beds may be expected 
in both the Alum Bluff formation and the underlying undifferen- 
tiated Eocene or Cretaceous deposits. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Water supplies in the county are obtained chiefly from driven or 
dug wells, commonly 10 to 20 feet deep, which can be put down at 
little expense and which furnish abundant supplies of soft water. 
In many of the open dug wells the water stands within 2 or 3 feet of 
the surface and may be polluted. Driven wells, made by driving 
a small iron tube with a strainer point down to the water-bearing 
bed are, for hygienic reasons, preferable to dug wells. There are a 
few unimportant small seepage springs. The waters of the ponds and 
streams are stained dark brown to black by vegetable matter. 

Wholesome water can be obtained from deep wells at any place 
in the county. Wells 200 feet or more in depth, located in the val- 
leys, on land 70 feet or less above sea level, will flow at the surface. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Folkston (population 355, census of 1910). — Folkston, the county 
seat and the largest town in the county, is not equipped with a water- 
supply system but owns a deep well (No. 2, Table 17), from which 
many of the inhabitants obtain supplies for domestic purposes. This 
well, which was completed in 1908, is 612 feet deep and 3 inches in 
diameter. The principal water-bearing bed is reported to be at 510 
feet, and the water, which rises to within 12 feet of the surface, is 
not lowered by pumping. The water is slightly hard but is suitable 
for general domestic purposes. 

Burnt Fort. — At Burnt Fort, a small community on the terrace 
bordering Satilla River, 12 miles northeast of Folkston, a well (No. 
1, Table 17) owned by Mr. L. M. Bedell is 200 feet deep and furnishes 
a strong flow of sulphurous water. 

Table 17. — Wells in Charlton County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 


1 


Burnt Fort, 12 miles 
northeast of Folks- 
ton. 


L. M. Bedell 








Feet. 


? 




H.C.Russell.... 


W. M. Ollif 


1908 


80 


3 























CHATHAM COUNTY. 183 

Table 17. — Wells in Charlton County — Continued. 



No. 


Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 
to 

princi- 
pal 

water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Level 

of 
water 
below 
surface. 


How ob- 
tained. 


Quality. 


Use. 


Geologic horizon 
of principal 
water bed. 


1 


Feet. 
200 

612 

65 


Inches. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Flows. . . 


Sulphurous 




Alum Bluff forma- 


2 


3 


510 
45 


12 


Slightly hard 


Domestic 


tion? 
Vicksburg forma- 


3 


Pumps.. 


tion? 








tion? 



CHATHAM COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 



Chatham County is on the seacoast in the eastern section of the 
Coastal Plain of Georgia. Its area is 370 square miles, and its popu- 
lation (census of 1910) is 79,690, of which 65,064 live in Savannah. 
Savannah is an important seaport, exporting chiefly naval stores, 
raw cotton, and lumber. It contains fertilizer factories, cottonseed- 
oil mills, cotton cloth mills, ice factories, a brewery, car works, 
machine shops, a canning factory, and many small plants. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The lands adjacent to the coast are low and the coast line is irregu- 
lar. The eastern part of the county contains many low, sand-covered 
islands separated by sounds, tortuous brackish and salt water creeks 
and rivers. On the islands and adjacent mainland there are small 
areas of marsh land. The western part is a flat poorly drained plain, 
on which low sand hills or sand ridges, bays, and low moist areas are 
underlain by clay and silt of marine or brackish water origin. The 
low flat areas are probably the sites of former tidal arms of the ocean. 

Savannah River forms the eastern boundary of the county and 
Ogeechee River the western boundary. The water of the Savannah 
is always more or less turbid and yellowish from suspended silt and 
clay carried down in suspension from the Piedmont Plateau. Ogee- 
chee River is rarely muddy, and although its headwater streams are 
in the southeastern part of the Piedmont Plateau the water has the 
aspect of the streams which originate in the Coastal Plain. Adjacent 
to the mouths of both the Savannah and the Ogeechee are salt-water 
marshes and tidal-swamp lands (see pp. 36-37), which extend several 
miles above the salt marshes. The only other important stream in 
the county is Little Ogeechee River which has its source in the Coastal 
Plain and flows southeastward through the western part of the 
county. Its water is dark or amber-colored from organic matter, 
but it carries only a small amount of silt or clay in suspension. On 



184 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

account of the youth of the land surface and its low elevation stream 
erosion has been a minor factor in the formation of the topography. 
The surface of the greater part of the county lies between 15 and 
25 feet above sea level, but there are a few places in the northern part 
of the county which probably reach a maximum of 50 or 60 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

The greater part of the county is covered by late Pleistocene 
deposits, belonging to the Satilla formation, which consist of loose, 
fine, quartz sands rather uniformly distributed, though in places 
heaped into hills by wind or wave action, and of sandy muds or clays 
containing organic matter deposited in the swampy flats. The 
Pleistocene deposits probably do not exceed 25 or 30 feet in thickness, 
but they are the source of the water obtained in shallow dug and 
driven wells. Beneath the surficial Pleistocene sands, at a few 
localities, are red or yellowish sands containing thin bluish clay 
laminae, which are older than the Satilla formation and probably 
belong to an older Pleistocene formation. These red and yellow 
sands are thin and have no important bearing on the water supplies. 
At Savannah, beneath the Pleistocene deposits and the red and yellow 
sands of questionable age, the strata, to a depth of about 250 feet, 
consist of fine more or less argillaceous sands, bluish or greenish 
sandy clays, soft shell marls, and limestones which are of Tertiary age 
and are probably younger than the Chattahoochee formation (Oligo- 
cene), but which have not been differentiated into formations. 
Locally, these beds are water bearing and supply wells 270 feet or less 
in depth. Porous, sandy limestones, which may represent in descend- 
ing order the Chattahoochee, Vicksburg, and Jackson formations, 
are encountered at Savannah between 250 and 500 feet. These 
limestones are an important source of artesian supplies in this and 
adjoining counties. 

Little is known concerning the character and age of the Coastal 
Plain deposits existing beneath the limestones, but it is perhaps 
reasonable to assume that the Claiborne group (Eocene) and the 
Upper and Lower Cretaceous sands and clays are represented. 
Beneath the Lower Cretaceous deposits, perhaps at some depth 
between 2,500 and 4,000 feet, are the crystalline basement rocks. 
The Eocene and Cretaceous deposits doubtless contain water-bearing 
beds, some of which would yield potable waters. 



CHATHAM COUNTY. 185 



WATER RESOURCES. 
DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 



Artesian wells are the chief source of water supply in the county. 
The city of Savannah, the second largest city in the State, derives its 
supply from artesian wells. Many private wells have been sunk in 
the city and throughout the county. 

Shallow dug and driven wells 6 to 25 feet deep furnish soft but not 
always wholesome water. Water from driven wells is safer than 
that from dug wells. 

Water from Savannah River is used in boilers at many factories at 
Savannah. Elsewhere in the county surface waters are not used 
extensively. 

Springs are few in number, small, and usually unwholesome. 

Artesian waters may be obtained throughout the county at depths 
ranging from 50 to 1,500 feet or more. Most wells, especially those 
exceeding 100 feet in depth, will flow. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Savannah (population 65,064, census of 1910). — The municipal 
water supply at Savannah is derived from 13 artesian wells (No. 5, 
Table 18) in the western part of the city. One well is 1,550 feet deep 
and the others are from 475 to over 500 feet (the average depth is 
said to be 500 feet). Originally they all flowed, but later the yield 
decreased to such an extent that it became necessary to pump them; 
in 1910 the consumption from the 13 wells was 9,500,000 gallons a day. 
A description of the water-supply system and an explanation of the 
decreased yield of the wells has been given by C. S. Slichter, 1 the 
greater part of whose paper is here quoted. Table 19 gives a mineral 
analysis of the water of the present supply (analysis 1) and an 
analysis of water from the wells at the old city waterworks (analysis 2) . 

One of the most carefully planned artesian water supplies of this country is that of 
the city of Savannah, Ga. A brief account of these wells is of much interest, not only 
as illustrative of an intelligently designed and well-constructed engineering work, but 
also because of the valuable lessons to be learned from the way in which difficulties 
were met and overcome as they arose. The works were planned by Mr. Thomas T. 
Johnston, consulting engineer, of Chicago, 111., and the following description is taken 
largely from his paper in Engineering News. 2 

Prior to 1887 the water supply of Savannah was taken from the river, but in that 
year 14 artesian wells were put in use (a fifteenth well being nearly ready) near the old 
pumping station. Of these wells 2 were 10-inch, 12 were 6-inch, and 1 was 4-inch, and 
not one was more than 400 feet deep . In 1888 the entire supply of the city was drawn 
from these wells, the total for the year being 2,135,842,000 gallons, or about 5,850,000 gal- 
lons per day. At the close of 1889, 5 new wells had been put in use, the 20 wells being 
distributed very irregularly within a 10-acre lot. About this time, however, it became 
necessary to open the river supply to some extent. Experience and observation 
showed conclusively that the water supply was materially affected by the tide, and it 

i U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 67, pp. 97-101, 1902. "- Eng. News, vol. 29, pp. 527-529, 1893. 



186 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PEAIN OF GEORGIA. 

was supposed that the shallowness of the wells caused a filling by sand to a greater or 
less extent, thus affecting the supply. But little better results were had, however, 
from deepening some of the wells, one of them being deepened to 1,009 feet. Two addi- 
tional 10-inch wells 502 and 505 feet deep were connected with the old works on De- 
cember 29, 1890, but in November, 1891, it was necessary to again draw water from the 
river. Nothing resulted from dynamiting the wells. [Wells No. 4, Table 18.] 

In June, 1891, it was found that water in well No. 1, close to the old pumping station, 
was 9 feet lower than in well No. 2, distant from well No. 1 about 1,600 feet, and it was 
determined to abandon the old wells. 

Twelve new wells in a new location were finally decided upon, and 7 were put in use 
on December 9, 1892, and the others on March 21, 1893. * * * [No. 5, Table 18.] 
The wells are arranged along a highway which runs nearly parallel to the ocean and 
some distance from the old pumping station. They are 300 feet apart and flow into a 
brick and concrete conduit. * * * Sands and clays were met to a depth of about 
250 feet, where a cherty lime rock was found. The rock varies in character at 
greater depths. The first water was found at 325 feet, and the supply continually 
increased until the depth exceeded 500 feet. The water-bearing rock is uniformly 
a porous limestone, or rather one full of cavities, very similar to the rock outcrop from 
which flow the mammoth Suwanee springs in northern Florida. Water is occasionally 
found below 500 feet, but not in sufficient quantity to justify deeper wells. The 12 
wells of the new waterworks average 500 feet in depth. They are cased to the rock 
(about 250 feet) with casing of 12 inches internal diameter. Below this there is a 
12-inch clear opening. The normal position of water in the wells, as determined by 
the position in the old wells when first dug, showed that it reached the static level at 
an elevation of 41 feet above mean low tide. Subsequent wells, bored in a wide range 
of country, show about the same elevation. After a number of wells had been bored 
the elevation of this static level was lowered. At the time of an examination in 1890 
about 6,000,000 gallons per day were being pumped at the old works. The static level 
was then 7 feet; at the site of the new works it was at an elevation of 28 feet, while 9 
miles south of the old works it was at the original elevation, 41 feet. The influence of 
the heavy pumpage was noticed to be greater in wells in the same line perpendicular 
to the shore of the ocean than in wells in a line parallel to the ocean. To predetermine 
the probable flow from the new wells, the Springfield well, 2,000 feet east of the new 
station, was examined, with the following results: 1 

Flow of Springfield well, Savannah. 



Elevation of 








static level 


Equivalent 


Flow. 


Year. 


above mean 


head. 


low tide. 












Galls, per 




Feet. 


Feet. 


94 hours. 




27.67 
25.67 




2.00 




1890 
1890 


482, 000 


24.40 


3.27 


623,000 


1891 


22.77 


4.90 


1,000,000 


1890 


22.68 


4.99 


977,000 


1891 


21.80 


5.87 


1,133,000 


1891 


21.79 


5.88 


1, 172, 000 


1891 


20.57 


7.10 


1,360,000 


1890 


13.00 


14.67 


2, 500, 000 


1890 



It was estimated that about 3,000,000 gallons per day could be obtained with the 
static head reduced to an elevation of 7 feet, which reduction is practicable at the 
pump house, as constructed. The old wells spread over an area about 1,700 feet 

i A section of this well is shown in Eng. News, vol. 30, p. 4, 1893. 



CHATHAM COUNTY. 



187 



wide at its largest part, and their flow at an elevation of 7 feet was about 6,000,000 
gallons per day. 

The first seven wells embraced a line 1,800 feet long. Reducing the level to 8 feet, 
the flow was 6,500,000 gallons per day. The level in wells Nos. 10, 11, and 12 was 
at this time 14.93, 15.96, and 16.20 feet, respectively. On March 21, 1893, the 12 wells 
were put into service, with elevation of water at 8 feet, and the flow was 9,500,000 
gallons per day. At the beginning of 1897 the flow of the 12 wells had decreased to 
6,900,000 gallons per day, and the fear was entertained that the history of the old 
plant was to be repeated. Mr. Johnston was again called in consultation. The 
results of his measurements of the flow of each of the 12 wells were as follows: 

Yield of Savannah wells in 1897. 



Well. 


Flow. 


Well. 


Flow. 


No. 1 


Galls, per 24 
hours. 
713, 460 
460, 460 
543, 950 
361,790 
485, 760 
293,480 
452,870 
452,870 


No. 9 


Galls, per % 
hours. 
399, 740 


No. 2 


No. 10 


468, 050 


No.3 


No. 11 


371,910 


No. 4 


No. 12 


485, 760 


No. 5 


Springfield well 




No. 6 

No. 7 


5,490,100 
1,019,590 


No. 8 









From this table it is seen that wells Nos. 4, 6, and 11 showed a very small flow, 
entirely out of proportion to that of the other wells. 

It having been determined that the flow of water in some wells was more obstructed 
than in others, the work of attempting to remove the obstructions was undertaken. 
The method used was back flushing, or the forcing of a strong reverse flow back into 
the well. The first effort was made on well No. 2 by means of fire hose attached to 
a neighboring hydrant. Only a slight improvement resulted. The next attempt 
was made on well No. 10, fire engine No. 2 being used. But little improvement 
resulted. A more powerful fire engine (No. 3) was next employed, and the process 
was tried on well No. 6. A radical improvement was the result, the net gain in the 
yield of the well being 100,000 gallons per day. Encouraged by this result, the next 
effort was made on well No. 4, fire engines Nos. 1 and 3 being used. The result was 
even more radical, the net gain in yield for this well being 200,000 gallons per day. 1 
The actual results on well No. 6 were as follows: 

Results of flushing well No. 6, Savannah waterworks, in 1897. 

Flow before flushing : Gallons per 24 hours. 

May 12 295,000 

May 18 304, 000 

Flow after flushing: 

May 18 433, 000 

May 19 395, 000 

May 20 400, 000 

May 24 389, 620 

After these experiments Mr. Johnston recommended that a special 8-inch water 
main of the city system be laid along the row of 12 wells, and that it be connected to 
each well by means of a 6-inch pipe and gate. By opening a gate any well can now 
be flushed at any time, and Superintendent Kinsey of the waterworks states that 
all of the wells have been flushed and tested regularly every year since Mr. Johnston's 
tests in 1897. The following is the record of the test for the year 1900: 

1 Report of T. T. Johnston to chairman of water commission, Savannah, Ga., May 24, 1897. 



188 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Results of flashing Savannah ivells in 1900. 

Gallons per 24 hours. 

Yield before flushing 5, 104, 275 

Yield after flushing 5, 850, 878 

Gain. 746, 603 

The yield before flushing given above is 385,825 gallons less than the total yield 
before flushing in 1897. 

The results at Savannah are especially valuable on account of their reliability and 
the fullness of the information. In the first place, the yield of the wells can be closely 
relied upon, for they were determined by a special current meter designed by Mr. 
Johnston, which can at any time readily be lowered into one of the wells. In the 
second place, it was found by actual measurements at the old waterworks that there 
had been no lowering of the water table during the years 1892 to 1897 , as the measure- 
ments made in the two years were in substantial accord. Thus the depreciation of 
the wells must be referred to the clogging of the pores in the rock in some unknown 
way, and not to a general depreciation of the basin. 

The following description of the strata penetrated in the city wells 
at Savannah in the first 510 feet of depth has been prepared by 
McCallie: 1 

Section descriptive of strata penetrated in city wells at Savannah. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Fine sandy clay with a few fragments of fossiliferous limestone, more or less rounded by 
water 

Dark grayish-green marl containing rounded pebbles and fragments of oyster shells and 
a few grains of glauconite 

Very tough dark-colored clays with quartz pebbles and glauconite 

Brownish clay containing dental plates of rays and minute rhombohedrons of calcite 

Greenish-gray clay, containing fragments of "shells and sharks' teeth 

Same; also contains dental plates of rays 

Greenish-gray clay, frequently indurated 

Gray marl with round pebbles and glauconite . Microscopic examination shows the marl 
to consist largely of rhombohedral crystals of calcite 

Greenish-gray marl, containing water-worn pebbles of feldspar and quartz. Calcite crys- 
tals are also abundant 

Dark-gray clay with a few water-worn pebbles 

Dark-gray marl, containing fragments of corals, sea urchins, etc 

White, porous, concretionary, fossiliferous limestone, Foraminifera, fragments of oyster 
shells, and spines of sea urchins 

More or less compact gray limestone, containing fossils similar to those of the overlying 
beds; also a few remains of gastropods 

White concretionary limestone with fossils similar to the above 

Gray marl, in places hardened into a porous rock containing fragments of oysters, pectens, 
crinoid stems, Foraminifera, and small crystals of calcite 

Same; except that it contains fewer crinoid stems 

Very white, chalky limestone, made up largely of corals 

Gray coralline limestone, containing glauconite and many crinoid stems 

Same; glauconite abundant 

Dark greenish-gray marl, with glauconite filling casts of corals and Foraminifera; also 
fragments of compact coralline limestone which probably formed thin layers in the 
marl 



Feet. 
30 

40 
10 
10 
10 
20 
40 



Feet. 



70 
80 
90 
100 
120 
160 



210 
230 
290 

320 

330 
400 

410 
413 
440 
450 
475 



The log of a well (No. 6, Table 18) completed in 1905, owned by 
the Mutual Fertilizer Co., 3 miles west of the post-office building at 
Savannah, is given by Fuller and Sanford 2 as follows, on the 
authority of the Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., contractors: 



i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 75, 76, 1908. 



2 U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 298, p. 199, 1906. 



CHATHAM COUNTY. 189 

Log of well of Mutual Fertilizer Co., 3 miles west of post-office building at Savannah 

(No. 6, Table 18). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Soft dark-brown soil 

Soft light-gray sand 

Red and gray clay and fine sand 

Loose dark-gray sand 

Hard greenish-gray sandy limestone 

Tough dark-green sandy marl '. 

Porous white limestone, slightly sandy; water bearing 

Soft gray porous limestone 

Coarser-textured white, brownish, and gray limestone with coarse sand, bits of shells, 
and dark grains, the latter probably phosphatic; contains Orbitoides (?) identified by 
Dr. Joseph A. Cushman; water bearing 

Light-buff limestone; considerable water , 



Feet. 

1 

2 

17 

10 

1.5 

203.5 

10 

25 



Feet. 

1 

3 

20 

30 

31.5 

235 

245 

270 



310 
330 



According to the authority cited, the diameter of this well is 8 
inches, the length of the casing is 136 feet, and the water is hard and 
rises to within 4 feet of the surface. A partial set of well borings 
from the well is on file in the office of the United States Geological 
Survey (well No. 380). From materials in this set representing 
depths between 270 and 290 feet were obtained remains of Bryozoa 
which, according to R. S. Bassler, are related to the Bryozoan fauna 
from the Eocene limestone of uppermost Jackson age at Wilming- 
ton, N. C, but which may indicate the Vicksburg rather than the 
Jackson age of the formation. 

Tybee Island. — On Tybee Island there are about 20 artesian wells, 
which range in depth from 80 to 240 feet. The waters are derived 
from strata of Tertiary age and appear to be similar in their mineral 
character to the waters obtained from wells at Savannah. They are 
used for general domestic purposes, for the manufacture of ice, and 
in boilers of locomotives of the Central of Georgia Railway. Most of 
the wells flow at the surface, but the static heads are affected by 
the tide, some of them ceasing to flow at low tide. 

A well at the cottage of W. J. Floyd, near Inlet station, is about 
160 feet deep, and is cased to a depth of 84 feet, at which depth a 
layer of hard rock was encountered. It flows continuously 3 feet 
above the surface and does not appear to be materially affected in 
its yield by the tide. (See analysis 3, Table 19.) 

Pooler (population 337, census of 1910). — Pooler derives its water 
supply in part from an artesian well (No. 3, Table 18) owned by 
S. H. Oliver, and in part from shallow wells 16 to 40 feet deep. Mr. 
Oliver's well was drilled in 1890 to a depth of 450 feet with a diam- 
eter of 3 inches. The water is reported to be derived principally 
from limestone at 450 feet. At present the water will rise 10 feet 
above the surface, but since the completion of the well the flow has 
decreased, owing perhaps to a clogging of the pore spaces in the 



190 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

water-bearing bed or to a clogging of the well casing by bacterial 
vegetable growth. The original rate of flow could probably be partly 
restored by shooting the well, or by backflushing it in the manner 
employed at Savannah (pp. 187-188). 

Montgomery. — H. D. Weed, of Savannah, reports that five artesian 
flowing wells on a sea island 10 to 16 miles south of Montgomery 
are 285 to 400 feet deep and 2 to 8 inches in diameter (No. 2, Table 18). 
In these wells the water rises 10 to 15 feet above the surface. The 
principal water-bearing bed is porous limestone at 280 feet. The 
water is sulphurous and is used for general domestic purposes and 
for irrigation. 

Burroughs. — An artesian well at Burroughs (No. 1, Table 18) 
owned by H. A. Fountain is 315 feet deep and flows 20 feet above 
the surface. The water is used, for domestic purposes. Two other 
flowing wells are owned, one by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and 
the other by the Seaboard Air Line Railway. 

Table 18. — Wells in Chatham County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap-. 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 


1 




H. A. Fountain, Sa- 
vannah, Ga. 


Mr. Corey 

Edward Corey, 
Keller, Ga. 


H. A. Fountain... 


1905 


Feet. 
19 


? 


Montgomery. 10 to 16 
miles south of, on 
a sea island. 


10 


S 


S. H. Oliver 




1890 




4 




City 




Thomas T. John- 
ston/zC.S.Slieh- 
ter,b S. W. Mc- 
Callie.c 

do 


10.25- 


5 


.. .do 


do 




18.62 
11.30- 


6 

7 


Savannah (3 miles 
west of). 


Mutual Fertilizer Co. 


Hughes Spe- 
cialty Well 
Drilling Co., 
Char 1 e s t o n, 
S. C. 


Driller and owner . 


1905 


20.82 


s 




Tybee Ice, Water 
& Irrigation Co. 

U. S. Government, 
Fort Screven Res- 
ervation. 
do 




S. W. McCaUiec... 




13 


q 


do 




do 






10 


do 




do 


1902 

















a Eng. News, vol. 29, pp. 527-529, 1893. 

b TJ. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 67, pp. 97-101, 1902. 

c Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 72-81, 1908. 



CHATHAM COUNTY. 
Table 18. — Wells in Chatham County — Continued. 



191 





Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 

water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 

315 

285-400 

450 

380-500 

475-1,550 

330 

80-240 

158 

80 

156 


Inches. 
2 
2-8 
3 
4-10 
12 
8 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 
+ 20 
+10-15 
+ 10 
fa) 
(a) 
- 4 


Galls. 


Galls. 


Flows 

do... 


Sulphurous. 
Do. 


2 


280 
450 




30-500 




3 




...do 




4 








Analysis 2, Table 19 
Analysis 1, Table 19. 
Hard. 


s, 












6 












7 














8 


3 
1 

6 
















9 








10-30 




do 




10 










do 





















No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 






Clay and sand 


Cost of well, $115. 


? 


Domestic and irri- 
gation. 


do..;:::::::::: 




^ 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 
do 


Limestone 

Cavernous lime- 
stone. 
do 




4 




Old waterworks; 22 wells, nine 10-inch, 


5 


do 


Vicksburg forma- 
tions 

Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 


twelve 6-inch, one 4-inch. 
New waterworks; 12 wells 475 to 500+ 


6 
7 


Manufacturing 

Domestic and 
manufacturing. 

Boiler supply, irri- 
gation, domestic. 




feet deep and 1 well 1,550 feet deep; 

12-inch casing to 250 feet. 
8-inch casing extends to a depth of 136 

feet. 
Many wells. 


8 


do 






q 








10 





















a Original static head 41 feet above mean low tide. 
6 The 1,550-foot well probably taps the Cretaceous. 

Table 19. — Analyses of underground waters from Chatham County. 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal 

water-bearing 

stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 


Apr. 11,1911 

1886 

Apr. 11,1911 

1886 
1885 


Municipal supply 
from 12 wells 475 
to 500+ feet deep 
and 1 well 1,550 
feet deep. 

Deep wells former- 
ly municipal 
supply. 

Well of W.J. Floyd 

Artesian well 

do 




The wells 475 
to 500+ feet, 
Vicksburg 
formation? ; 
the 1,550- 
foot well, 
Cretaceous? 

Vicksburg 
formation? 

Tertiary 

do 


Feet. 
475-500+ 
and 1,500 

500+ 

160+ 

240+ 
240+ 




2 

3 

4 


do 

Tybee Island near 
Inlet station. 


C. F. Chandler .a 

Edgar Everhart. 
C. F. Chandler.6 


<; 


do 


do 


H. C. White.6 













a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 73, 74, 1908. 



b Idem, pp. 77-79. 



192 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Table 19. — Analyses of underground waters from Chatham County — Continued. 

[Parts per million.] 

















<D 


<D 




a> 




o 




















o 


a 




^ 




■p. 




















T) 


73 


o 


o 




03 


> 












a 




M 


M 


ti > 


•a 


T3 . 




t4 


o . 






o 

35 

O 


ft 


a 

3 


a 

3 

8 

Pn 


a 


a 


*£ 

3 
o 

.0 


I 6 ' 

t-i 


a>co 


03 ~ 

Jz; 

c3 


O 

3 

'fcH 


73 c» 

03 03 
SB 

03 


03 


Remarks. 




35 


o 


o 


03 


o 


o 
ft 


03 

O 


3 


3 
03 


2 


3 
o 


O 
> 


O 




1 


58 


1.0 


26 


10 


17 


2.0 


170 


8.0 


0.4 


7.0 




220 


Wells No. 5, Table 18. 


•A 


55 


a. 4 


25 


7.2 


10 1 1.7 






11 


2.2 


11 


9.9 


229 


Trace of P0 4 . Wells No. 4, 








Table 18. 


3 


35 


.6 


23 


12 


17 


.0 


159 


12 


9.0 


8.0 




202 




4 


60 


a. 4 


22 


10 


17 | 2.6 




39 


12 




12 


10 


120 


Trace of P0<. 


S 


2.1 


.1 


46 


.2 


24 


77 




34 






1.7 


185 

















a Fe 2 3 +Al 2 3 . 

CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Chattahoochee County is in the northwestern part of the Coastal 
Plain of Georgia. Its area is 218 square miles and its population 
(census of 1910) is 5,586. Agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is included in the topographic division here called the 
fall-line hills. The surface is mainly a much-dissected Coastal Plain 
upland of broken hilly aspect. However, in the western part of the 
county there are two relatively small areas of nearly level land, por- 
tions of two Pleistocene terrace plains bordering Chattahoochee 
River. The first (the Satilla plain) covers a few square miles in the 
extreme western part of the county and lies 40 to 50 feet above low- 
water level of the river; the second (the Okefenokee plain) covers a 
somewhat larger area immediately east of the first at an elevation 
of 140 to 170 feet above the same datum. Chattahoochee River 
drains the entire county, its principal tributaries being Upatoi, 
Oswichee, and Hichitee creeks. The maximum topographic relief is 
approximately 400 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

The deposits of the Coastal Plain rest upon a deeply buried base- 
ment of ancient crystalline rocks, which, along the northern border of 
the county, lie 350 or 400 feet below low-water level of Chattahoochee 
River, and along the southern border probably 700 or 800 feet below 
the same datum plane. The Lower Cretaceous deposits, which con- 
sist of 350 or 400 feet of sands and clays, rest directly upon the base- 
ment rocks. The uppermost strata of this division appear in the 
bed of Upatoi Creek along the northern border of the county and 
doubtless extend southward under the entire county. 



CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY. 193 

The Etitaw formation of the Upper Cretaceous rests unconform- 
ably upon the Lower Cretaceous deposits. The terrane consists of 
approximately 550 feet of strata, in part irregularly bedded sands and 
laminated clays and in part massive more or less calcareous and 
glauconitic sands and clays. Locally, the irregularly bedded por- 
tions contain lignite and concretions of iron sulphide. Massive 
marine beds, which make up the upper 120 feet of the formation, 
have been designated the Tombigbee sand member. 

Conformably overlying the Eutaw formation is the Ripley forma- 
tion, which is represented within the county in part by the Cusseta 
sand member and in part by typical marine strata. The Cusseta sand 
member consists of about 300 feet of fine to coarse, irregularly bedded 
sands and subordinate lenses of laminated or massive clay. The 
typical marine strata are massive, compact, calcareous, and glau- 
conitic sands and clays. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.) 

Pleistocene terrace deposits consisting of loams, sands, and gravels* 
20 to 35 feet thick, cover small areas in two terrace plains in the 
extreme western part of the county. One of these plains lies along 
Chattahoochee River 40 to 50 feet above low-water level; the 
other lies immediately to the east, 140 to 150 feet above the same 
datum. 

Of the formations described the Lower Cretaceous deposits, the 
irregularly bedded portions of the Eutaw formation, and the Cusseta 
sand member of the Ripley formation, are the chief water bearers. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Water supplies for domestic purposes are derived chiefly from dug 
wells 20 to 110 feet deep, which tap water-bearing beds in the Upper 
Cretaceous or in the Pleistocene deposits. Wells located on the ter- 
races, which cover 15 to 18 square miles in the western part of the 
county, obtain good supplies from the sands and gravels at the base 
of the terrace deposits at depths of 20 to 40 feet. 

Small springs that are conveniently located are used, and many 
small creeks and headwater branches are important sources of 
water for stock and for local steam production. 

The Lower Cretaceous deposits, which pass beneath the Upper 
Cretaceous beds along the northern border of the county, underlie 
the entire county. They carry large quantities of water of excellent 
quality. The Lower Cretaceous water-bearing beds dip southward, 
and in the upland region in the extreme south they probably lie 
1,000 to 1,400 feet beneath the surface. 

The irregularly bedded sands and clays of the Eutaw formation, 
which outcrop in the northwestern half of the county and which dip 
38418°— wsp 341—15 13 



194 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

southeast beneath the younger Cretaceous formations, contain waters 
of good quality and in considerable quantities. Along the south- 
eastern border of their outcrop water-bearing strata should be 
reached at depths of 100 to 300 feet, and to the south or southeast 
in Stewart County at increasing depths to a maximum of 600 to 
1,000 feet. 

In the southeast corner of the county waters of good quality can 
be obtained from the Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation 
at depths of 100 to 400 feet. 

Flowing wells should be obtained on the lower levels bordering 
Chattahoochee River at elevations less than 50 feet above low-water 
level and probably also on the bottom lands of Upatoi Creek. A 
flowing well has been obtained on the opposite side of Chattahoochee 
River in Russell County, Ala., which adjoins Chattahoochee County 
on the west. Prof. E. A. Smith 1 describes this well as follows : 

W. J. McLendon's well, near Chattahoochee River; depth 465 feet. Record: Sand 
and clay, 20 feet; marl with shell, 65 feet; beds of sand and marl, 15 to 25 feet thick, 
alternating, to 380 feet; hard rock, 2 feet; sand to 445 feet. Water at this point flowed 
12 gallons per minute, but has decreased to 4 gallons. Well lowered 20 feet into 
sand or hard rock. 

This well is located on the lowest Pleistocene terrace, at a landing 
2£ or 3 miles below the mouth of Euchee Creek. Its curb is about 
40 feet above low-water level. The first 20 feet of materials pene- 
trated are Pleistocene terrace deposits; the materials from 20 to 
382 feet belong to the Eutaw formation, and those from 382 to 465 
feet to the Lower Cretaceous. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Cusseta (population 34, census of 1910). — Cusseta, the county 
seat, does not own a municipal water-supply system. Wells on 
individual properties, for the most part of the dug type, ranging in 
depth from 45 to 80 feet, are the chief source of water supply. The 
water-bearing beds tapped are either in the extreme base of the 
Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation or in the uppermost 
part of the Tombigbee sand member of the Eutaw formation. 

Rural supplies. — Two deep artesian wells have been reported from 
this county. McCallie 2 furnishes the following account of one of 
them: 

The well which is located on Mr. W. C. Bradley's plantation in the western part 
of the county, was put down in 1897, and is reported by Mr. Bradley to have a depth 
of 700 feet. It is 4 inches in diameter, and the water comes to within 90 feet of the 
surface. The well is said to have a capacity of about 600 gallons per hour. The 
water is used for general domestic purposes. 

1 The underground water resources of Alabama: Alabama Geol. Survey, p. 234, 1907. 

2 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 81, 1908. 



CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY. 195 

The formations passed through in boring the well are reported to consist of clay 
sand, and marl, no hard rock having been encountered. One water-bearing stratum 
occurs at 285 feet; the depths of the others are not given. 

The well described by McCallie is on the Okefenokee terrace plain 
1^ miles west of Shack. 

During 1910 a well was drilled on the property of Mrs. L. W. 
Adams, 5 miles west of Cusseta. W. A. Weems, R. D. No. 2, Cusseta, 
furnishes the following information concerning it : 

The well is located on a plain 330 feet above sea level; the depth 
is 385 feet and the diameter is 3 inches. The depth to the principal 
water-bearing bed is 110 feet; the water rises to within 35 feet of 
the surface and is lifted from the well by hand pump; the water 
is soft and of good quality and is used for domestic purposes and for 
watering stock. The cost of the well was $900. Rock, marl, red 
and white sand, and some lignite were encountered. The water- 
bearing bed tapped at 110 feet is in the Eutaw formation. The 
following analysis of water from this well, collected March 28, 1911, 
was made by Dr. Edgar Everhart: 

Analysis of water from well of Mrs. L. W. Adams, 5 miles northwest of Cusseta. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 40 

Iron (Fe) 16 

Calcium (Ca) 2.4 

Magnesium (Mg) 2.8 

Sodium and potassium (Na-f-K) 6.0 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 37 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 22 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) 2. 

Chlorine (CI) 3. 5 

Total dissolved solids 126 

A log of one of the deeper wells of the dug type is given below, 
the owner being authority for the lithology: 

Log of well of A. K. Cook, 2 miles east of Shack. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Upper Cretaceous, Eutaw formation: 

Sand 

Clay 

Sand rocks and coarse sand 

Fine white sand, almost as fine as flour and as white as snow. 

Coarse gravel 

Coarse red sand, almost as red as blood 



Feet. 

3 
18 
20 

6 
53 

4 



Feet. 
3 
21 
41 
47 
100 
104 



196 UNDEEGBOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 

CLAY COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Clay County is in the west-central part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Its area is 203 square miles and its population is 8,960 
(census of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county lies on the border between the physiographic divisions 
of the fall-line hills and the Dougherty plain. The topography of 
the fall-line hills is characterized by hills and ridges scored by local 
washes and gullies, and that of the Dougherty plain by nearly level 
or gently rolling tracts. The former is developed in the northern 
part of the county and the latter in the southern, and the two merge 
in a northeast-southwest belt that extends through the central 
part of the county. The drainage of the county is chiefly through 
Chattahoochee River and its tributaries — Pataula, Sandy, Como- 
chechebbee, Colomokee, and smaller creeks. The maximum surface 
relief is probably between 250 and 350 feet. 

Two well-developed Pleistocene terrace plains, the limits of which 
have not been determined in detail, border Chattahoochee River 
in the west. The lower (the Satilla plain) lies 40 to 50 feet above 
low-water level; the higher (the Okefenokee plain) lies 100 to 115 
feet above the same datum. The main part of the town of Fort 
Gaines is built upon the higher plain. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Ripley formation of the Upper Cretaceous outcrops in a very 
small area along Chattahoochee River and along Pataula Creek, in 
the northwest corner of the county. The materials consist of beds 
of massive calcareous, glauconitic, marine sands and clays, with 
some indurated layers. The thickness of the part of the formation 
appearing above water level is probably not more than 50 or 100 
feet, but its total thickness, including the buried portion, is probably 
over 900 feet. The formation is underlain by deeply buried, older 
Cretaceous deposits 1,000 to 1,500 feet or more in thickness, which 
rest in turn upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. The 
Ripley formation dips southward beneath overlying Eocene strata 
and at Fort Gaines is probably first encountered in wells at a depth 
of 190 to 200 feet below low-water level of the river. 

The Ripley formation is overlain in ascending order by the Midway 
formation, the Wilcox formation, and the Claiborne group, of the 
Eocene, and by the Vicksburg formation of the Oligocene. The 
Midway formation consists of several hundred feet of limestones, 
marls, clays, and sands, which outcrop along Chattahoochee River at 



CLAY COUNTY. 197 

and above Fort Gaines and in small areas in the northwestern part 
of the county. The Wilcox formation consists of 75 to 100 feet of 
sandy glauconitic shell marls, dark laminated sandy clays, and gray 
or dark-gray glauconitic and lignitic sands, which outcrop on Chatta- 
hoochee River at and below Fort Gaines and extend northeastward 
through the county in a belt several miles wide. The Claiborne group 
consists of 150 or 200 feet of clays, sands, and marls, which come to 
the surface in a belt 4 to 8 miles wide, extending nearly north and 
south through the county. 

The Vicksburg formation consists chiefly of sands and clays 
residual from limestones, containing greater or lesser amounts of 
sandy and argillaceous impurities and scattered masses of flint which 
resulted from the partial silicification of the original limestones. 
The formation outcrops in a small area in the southeast and probably 
does not exceed 100 feet in thickness. (See PI. III.) Bordering 
Chattahoochee River thin Pleistocene terrace deposits are present in 
narrow areas which correspond in extent to the terrace plains. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

In the rural districts water for domestic use is obtained chiefly 
from shallow dug wells, 20 to 100 feet deep, and from springs. On 
the hilly areas the average depth of the dug wells is greater than on 
the terrace plains bordering Chattahoochee River. 

The numerous creeks and small spring branches supply abundant 
water for stock and for local steam production. 

The uppermost beds of the Ripley formation, which underlies the 
entire county, are a most promising source of artesian water. They 
furnish strong flows at Fort Gaines at depths of 190 to 300 feet below 
low-water level of the river. They would be reached at less depths 
north of Fort Gaines and at slightly greater depths south of that place. 
The middle and lower beds of the Ripley formation may be regarded 
as possible sources of artesian waters. 

Moderate amounts of water suitable for all ordinary purposes are 
obtainable from the more sandy beds of the Midway and Wilcox for- 
mations and Claiborne group of the Eocene and from the Vicksburg 
formation of the Oligocene. 

Flowing wells can probably be obtained only on the lower of the 
two terrace plains bordering the river, at elevations less than 50 feet 
above low-water level of the river, and in the bottom lands of some 
of the larger creeks. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Fort Gaines (population 1,320, census of 1910). — Several deep wells 
have been drilled at and near Fort Gaines, the county seat. Water is 



198 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

obtained from horizons in the Ripley formation beneath 200 feet or 
more of Eocene strata. The first deep well drilled is described by 
McCallie 1 as follows : 

The well, which has a depth of 650 feet, was constructed in 1885 by the town of Fort 
Gaines, at a cost of about $2,000. The diameter of the well varies from 3 to 4 inches. 
The water rises to within 20 feet of the surface. Dr. J. W. Spencer, in speaking of the 
Fort Gaines well, says: 2 "The record of this well i^ lost; but it reaches a depth of 650 
feet. The lower 350 or 400 feet of these strata belong to the Ripley or Upper Creta- 
ceous system, which is overlain by the impervious beds of the lower Eocene lime- 
stones." 

An analysis of water from this well is given in Table 20 (analysis 3). 

In 1909 a second well was drilled at Fort Gaines under the auspices 
of the town government. The following information concerning it 
has been furnished by J. E. Paullin, chairman of the financial com- 
mittee : 

The well is 264 feet deep and is located near the Central of Georgia 
Railway station on the lowest river terrace plain about 40 or 50 
feet above low-water level of the river. Water-bearing beds were 
encountered at depths of 230 and 264 feet, the principal supply com- 
ing from the greater depth. The 264-foot stratum furnishes a 
natural flow of 300 gallons per minute, which will rise at least 30 feet 
above the surface. The cost of the well was $2 : 000. 

An analysis is given in Table 20 (analysis 4) . 

The well just described is to be the source of supply for a munici- 
pal waterworks now (1912) in course of construction. Both water- 
bearing beds, encountered at 230 and 264 feet are believed to be in 
the Ripley formation, the upper being at the extreme top of the forma- 
tion. Mr. Paullin furnishes the following information concerning 
the proposed water-supply plant: 

A tank to be installed at the well will have a capacity of 125,000 
gallons. From the tank water will be pumped to a reservoir on a 
hill just east of the town 259 feet above the mouth of the well and 150 
feet above the terrace plain on which the business part of the town 
stands. From the reservoir the water will be distributed by gravity 
through mains having a total length of about 3 miles. There will be 
a standpipe pressure of 65 pounds and a direct pressure from the 
pump of 90 pounds. The number of taps for domestic purposes will 
be about 100 and for manufacturing about 3; the number of fire 
plugs will be 25. 

C. C. Greene, 934 Candler Building, Atlanta, has furnished the fol- 
lowing information concerning a well in Clay County, 3 miles north- 
west of Fort Gaines: 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 81, 1908. 

2 Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 79, 1891. 



CLAY COUNTY, 



199 



The well, which is owned by Mrs. C. W. Greene, of Fort Gaines, was 
drilled in 1910. It is on the lowest river terrace, about 40 feet above 
low-water level of Chattahoochee River, has a depth of 365 feet, and 
is 6 inches in diameter at the bottom. It flows about 165 gallons a 
minute. The cost was $900. The owner contemplates using the 
well for irrigation. 

The well probably penetrated about 175 or 180 feet of strata 
belonging to the Midway formation of the Eocene, below which it 
passed through Ripley strata to the bottom. The water-bearing bed 
is therefore in the latter formation. 

Henry County, Ala. — Flowing wells have been obtained on the 
lowest river terrace in Alabama opposite Clay County. G. R. Irwin, 
of Fort Gaines, Ga., has furnished the following information concern- 
ing his well, 2\ miles northwest of Fort Gaines, in Henry County, 
Ala.: 

The well is 700 yards west of the river, 15 feet above high-water 
mark, and is 240 feet deep. A flow of 10 or 11 gallons a minute was 
obtained at 190 to 196 feet and 25 or 30 gallons a minute at 217 to 
240 feet. Both water-bearing beds are believed to be in the Ripley 
formation. The following is a log of this well with a correlation of 
the strata: 



Log ofivell of George R. Irwin, in Henry County, Ala., 2\ miles northwest of Fort Gaines, 

Ga. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Pleistocene (terrace deposit): 

Clay and sand 

Eocene, Midway formation: 

Soft lime rock 

Hard lime rock 

Marl 

Hard lime rock 

Marl 

Coarse sand 

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation: 

Hard sand rock 

Coarse sand 

Hard sand rock (first flow of 10 to 11 gallons a minute at this depth; measured from 
top of pump 7 feet above the surface) 

Coarse sand 

Hard sand rock '. 

Coarse sand 

Sand rock '. 

Coarse sand 

Marl 

Hard sand rock with some soft spots. At 230 to 235 feet the second flow of 25 to 30 
gallons a minute was encountered; flowed from top of 6-inch pipe. Well stopped 
in the rock 



Feet. 
30 

45 
50 
10 
5 
30 
10 

6 
4 



Feet. 



30 

75 
125 
135 
140 
170 
180 

186 
190 

196 

202 
207 
210 
212 
215 
217 



23 



Bluffton. — According to the owner, J. E. Mansfield, a well at 
Bluffton, 300 yards west of the post office, 40 feet above the valley 
of Colomoke Creek, is of the driven type, is 60 feet deep, and is 2 
inches in diameter. An abundance of water, yielded by a bed of 
white sand in the lower part of the well, is used for general domestic 



200 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



purposes. A bed of clay containing shells was penetrated at 35 or 
40 feet. The water comes from either the base of the Vicksburg 
formation or from the upper part of the Claiborne group. (See 
analysis 1, Table 20.) 

Mr. Mansfield has also furnished information concerning a spring 
owned by the town of Bluffton, on Main Street, about 300 yards west 
of the post office. The spring emits a moderate stream of clear 
water from sand overlain by a bed of sandstone which outcrops at 
the base of a bluff 40 feet below the general upland level. The water 
is used for drinking and for general domestic purposes by the people 
of the neighborhood. (See analysis 2, Table 20.) 

Table 20. — Analyses of underground waters from Clay County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 


June 1,1911 
do 


Well of J. E. 
Mansfield. 

Bluffton Spring, 
owned by the 
town. 

Town well 

do 


Bluffton 


Base of Vicks- 
burg forma- 
tion or Clai- 
borne group? 


Feet. 
60 


Edgar Everhart. 


? 


do 


Do. 


3 


Fort. Gaines 

do 


Ripley formation 


650 
264 




4 


June 5,1911 


Do. 



























a 


© 








«> 
























































o 


















'-3 


T3 


o 


c 




T3 


> 










a 






















O 






*3 


a 

03 




M 


03^; 
"5 


T3 . 


o 


»o 


o . 




GQ 

03 
o 


5 


a 




a 


a 

a 


03 


~03~ - ' 

P. 




o 

a 

o 


03 Ph 
P. 


"o3 


o 


s 


o 


03 

o 


03 


o 


O 
Ph 


03 

a 


s 


3 


Z 




Ph 


o 
Eh 


1 


12 


0.2 


47 


2.0 


: 


4 


2.0 


158 


8.0 


0.3 


3.0 




174 


2 


36 


.4 


3.0 


Trace. 




8.0 


.0 


18 


3.0 


4.0 


4.0 




80 


3 


16 


6 3.6 


7.0 


1.4 


76 


9.1 


98 




9.4 




20 


6.3 


248 


4 


30 


Trace. 


10 


Trace. 


t 


7 


2.0 


190 


11 




12 




238 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 82, 1908. 

CLINCH COUNTY. 



6 FeaOs+AlzOs- 



GENERAL FEATURES. 



Clinch County is in the southeastern part of the State on the 
Florida border. Its area is 961 square miles and its population 
(census of 1910) is 8,424. The county has no large towns or cities 
and is thinly settled. Lumber and naval stores are the chief products. 



TOPOGRAPHY. 



The county is a nearly even plain which slopes southward from 
about 200 feet above sea level in its extreme northern part to 116 feet 
above sea level at Fargo, in its southeast corner. Alapaha River, 



CLINCH COUNTY. 201 

which forms its western boundary, has cut 50 to 70 feet below the 
upland plain. Suwanee River flows through a low sand-covered 
terrace plain between banks or bluffs not over 10 feet high. The 
streams are sluggish and the waters are dark to almost black from 
organic matter. A relatively small area in the southeastern part of 
the county is covered by Okefenokee Swamp. 

GEOLOGY. 

Throughout the greater part of the county red and yellow argilla- 
ceous sands with thin interbedded layers of bluish clay closely under- 
lie the surface. The thickness of these surficial materials probably 
does not exceed 75 feet. They are underlain by the Alum Bluff for- 
mation, comprising 150 to 250 feet of sands and greenish sandy clays, 
probably locally water-bearing. The Alum Bluff and the overlying 
beds weather to white or yellowish residual sands which cover the 
surface to a depth of several feet throughout the greater part of the 
county. The Chattahoochee formation, which underlies the Alum 
Bluff, does not appear at the surface but is thought to be 100 feet or 
more thick and to contain water-bearing beds. The Chattahoochee 
formation is underlain by limestones belonging to the Vicksburg 
formation, which is several hundred feet thick and which probably 
carries large quantities of water. Between the base of the Vicksburg 
formation and the crystalline basement rocks, the depth of which is 
not known, there is first a series of limestones, sands, and clays of 
Eocene age followed in descending order by a series of sands, clays, 
and marls of Cretaceous age. Both the Eocene and Cretaceous 
deposits probably contain water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

None of the towns or villages of the county are equipped with 
public water-supply systems. Domestic water supplies are obtained 
chiefly from dug and driven wells 10 to 50 feet deep, which afford 
abundant soft water. The driven wells are preferable to the dug 
wells because they afford less opportunity for contamination. As 
there are no hard rocks near the surface driven wells are practicable 
throughout the county. 

The waters of ponds and streams are suitable for stock and for 
boiler supply. 

There are two deep wells in the county — one at Fargo and one at 
Council, 6 miles southeast of Fargo. No information has been 
obtained concerning them except that they are 200 or 300 feet in 
depth and are nonflo wing. 

There are numerous seepage springs throughout the county but 
they yield only small quantities of water and some of them are 
unpalatable. Some are very high in iron. A sample from a spring 



202 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

near Argyle, the source of which is probably the beds overlying the 
Alum Bluff formation, was analyzed by Edgar Everhart in August, 
1909, as follows: 

Analysis of water from a spring near Argyle. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 7. 7 

Iron (Fe) 9. 1 

Aluminum (Al) 2.6 

Calcium (Ca) 8 

Magnesium (Mg) 5 

Sodium and potassium (Na4- K) 4.9 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 144 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 1. 4 

Chlorine (CI) 10 

Total dissolved solids 69 

COFFEE COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Coffee County is in the so-called long-leaf pine or wire-grass region, 
in the southeast-central part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. Its 
area is 901 square miles and its population is 21,953 (census of 1910). 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The northern part is rolling to hilly. The hills present smoothly 
rounded, sand-covered slopes, and the valleys, except that of Ocmul- 
gee River, are shallow. In the south the surface is flatter, presenting 
in places poorly drained pine and saw-palmetto flats and small, 
shallow, cypress ponds, which probably occupy original inequalities 
that have not been drained by stream erosion. 

Satilla River and its tributaries form a dendritic drainage system 
over the greater part of the country. The interstream areas south 
and north of the divide between the Satilla and Ocmulgee river 
systems are strikingly unequal, the area south of the divide being 
much larger than that north of it. A similar relationship exists with 
respect to the areas northeast and southwest of the divide separating 
the Satilla and Alapaha drainage systems. The waters, except those 
of Ocmulgee River, are dark to almost black. The banks of the 
creeks and branches are low and in places the waters spread out 
through dense swamps through which there are no definite channels. 

On the east sides of Seventeenmile Creek and Satilla and Alapaha 
rivers, at elevations of 40 to 50 feet above low-water level, there 
are belts of fluviatile sand hills half a mile to 1 mile wide. 

The known elevations in the county are: Douglas, about 388; Nich- 
olls, about 306; Ambrose, about 395; Willacoochee, 247; Kirkland, 
200; Pearson, 205, and McDonald, 167. 



COFFEE COUNTY. 203 



GEOLOGY. 



Ferruginous sands, with pockets and thin interbedded layers of 
drab or bluish clay, form the surface throughout most of the county. 
These materials are probably Oligocene and are similar to those of 
the underlying Alum Bluff formation. They are probably not more 
than 100 feet thick in the county. They weather to yellow or white 
loose quartz sand, which mantles the surface to depths of 1 foot to 6 
feet. Similar sands of alluvial origin have been deposited on the 
terraces bordering the streams. The surficial sands have some bear- 
ing on the problems of water supply, for they are the source of small 
seepage springs and prevent to some extent the rapid surface drain- 
age of rainfall. 

The Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 100 feet or more of 
sandy clays interbedded with sands, underlies the surface materials 
and probably contains local water-bearing beds. The Alum Bluff 
formation is underlain by several hundred feet of limestones, which 
probably represent in descending order the Chattahoochee and 
Vicksburg formations of the Oligocene and the Jackson formation 
of the Eocene. The limestones are water bearing and constitute the 
most promising source of artesian water. Nothing definite is known 
as to the deposits beneath the limestones, but they probably consist 
of sands, clays, and marls of Eocene and Cretaceous age and rest at 
an undetermined depth upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. 



WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 



The water supply is obtained chiefly from shallow wells 30 to 50 
feet deep on the higher lands or hills and 10 to 15 feet deep on the 
lower levels. The shallow wells furnish abundant supplies of soft 
water. Ponds and streams afford water for stock and boiler supply. 

Small seepage springs issue from the surficial sands and sandy 
layers throughout the county. The most notable is Gaskins Spring, 
at the base of the sand hills on the eastern edge of the swamp of 
Seventeenmile Creek, 2 miles east of Douglas, which flows a small 
stream. The place is a picnic resort and camp-meeting ground and 
the water is used chiefly for drinking. (See analysis 2, Table 22.) 

Deep wells have been drilled at Douglas, Broxton, and Willa- 
coochee. No flowing wells have been reported. 

The Oligocene and Eocene limestones are abundantly water 
bearing. They will be penetrated in wells at depths of 300 to 600 
feet. The Alum Bluff formation, which overlies the Chattahoochee 
formation, is locally water bearing, and its waters, if like those from 
the same formation in Dodge, Telfair, Appling, and Tattnall coun- 
ties, are less highly mineralized than those from greater depths. 



204 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

Conditions for obtaining flowing wells are probably unfavorable 
except perhaps on the low terrace or bottom lands bordering Ocmulgee 
Kiver on the north. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Douglas (population 3,550, census of 1910). — The water supply at 
Douglas is obtained from an artesian well (No. 2, Table 21) owned by 
the town. The following account of this well is given by M'cCallie: 1 

It is a 6-inch well, 409 feet in depth. Water-bearing strata are reported at 325 and 
390 feet. The static head of the first stratum is said to be 130 feet below the surface, 
and the second 170 (?) feet. The record of the well shows that clays and sands were 
penetrated to a depth of 130 feet, below which sand and hard rock continue to the 
bottom. 

The well yields about 75,000 gallons of water a day and would 
probably yield more. (See analysis 1, Table 22.) 

Broxton (population 1,040, census of 1910). — In 1908 the Dorminy- 
Price Lumber Co. drilled a well (No. 1, Table 21) at Broxton to a 
depth of 400 feet. The water is used for general domestic purposes 
and for boiler supply at the lumber mill. 

Willacoochee (population 960, census of 1910). — An artesian well 
408 feet deep (No. 3, Table 21) provides the municipal water supply 
of Willacoochee. The water stands within 160 feet of the surface. 
The daily consumption is about 25,000 gallons. (See analysis 3, Table 
22.) 

Table 21. — Wells in Coffee County. 



No. 



Location. 



Owner. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 



Broxton 

Douglas 

Willacoochee. 



Dorminy-Price Lumber Co. 

Town 

do 



B.R. Leggett 

F. L. Sweat, mayor, and 

S.W. McCallie.i 
The mayor and J. Wilcox. 



1908 



Feet. 



388(?) 
247 



No. 



Depth. 



Feet. 
400 
409 
408 



Diam- 
eter. 



Inches. 
4 
■6 



Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed 



Feet. 
400 
390 
350 



Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 



Feet. 



325 



Level 

of 
water 
below 
surface. 



Feet. 



130 
160 



Yield per 
minute. 



Flow. 



Galls. 



Pump. 



Galls. 



50 
170 



How obtained. 



Steam engine . 



Steam engine. 



Quality. 



Analysis 1, Table22. 
Analysis 3, Table 22. 



Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 82-S4, 1908. 



COLQUITT COUNTY. 
Table 21. — Wells in Coffee County — Continued. 



205 



No. 


Use. 


Geologic horizon 
of principal 
water bed. 


Character "of prin- 
cipal water bed. 


Remarks. 


1 


Domestic and 
boiler supply. 

Municipal supply 
...do 


Chattahoochee or 
Vicksburg for- 
mation. 

.. ..do 






■> 






3 


.do 




Cost of well, $1,500; cost of machinery, 
$1,400. 











Table 22. — Analyses of underground ivaters from Coffee County . 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 




Town well 

Gaskins Spring.. 
Town well 




Chattahoochee 
o r Vicksburg 
formation. 

Surflcial depos- 
its. 

Chattahoochee 
or Vicksburg 
formation. 


Feet. 
390 

350 




2 
3 


Apr. 5, 1911 
do 


Douglas, 2 miles 

east of. 
Willacoochee 


Do. 
Do. 

















CD 


<D 


o 


« 




T3 


















a 


o 


























3 


a 


o 


o 




t> 




55 


O 
33 

03 

33 


® 

B 
O 

6 34 


"o? 
O 

a 

'3 
"3 
o 


a 



a 


"3 

a 

g 

■3 

o 

en 


M 

a 

03 
O 

Oi 
4.6 


03 
M 

tig. 

fl 
o 

-Q 
Ui 

03 
O 


03 

M 

03 

m 


os" -- 
CO 


2 


5 

3 
o 


O . 

"3 
o 


Remarks. 


1 


83 


34 


7.2 


12 


0.0 


158 


2.6 




10 


266 


/Free carbon dioxide (CO2) = 42. 
\Well 2. Table 21. 


2 


12 


Tr. 


2.0 


1.0 


6.0 


.0 


11 


Tr. 


1.0 


5.0 


3ft 




3 


36 


1 


37 


11 


6.0 


.0 


160 


27 


.2 


5.0 


210 


Well 3, Table 21. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 83, 190S. 6 Fe 2 3 -fAr20 3 . 

COLQUITT COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Colquitt County is in the south-central part of the State. Its area 
is 529 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 19,789. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Colquitt County is rolling or gently undulating and there are 
nowhere rugged or sharply cut features. The streams are small and 
flow through wide swampy valleys, above which the bordering hills 
or ridges probably rise not more than 75 feet. No exact determina- 
tions of elevations have been made within the county, but an estimate 
based on known elevations in adjoining counties puts the greater 
part of Colquitt County 200 to 350 feet above sea level. The highest 
land is in the northwest. 



206 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

GEOLOGY. 

Ferruginous sands with interbedded layers of bluish sandy clay out- 
crop over the greater part of the county. They contain water-bear- 
ing beds which are tapped by many shallow wells. Beneath them is 
the Alum Bluff formation which outcrops in the bottoms and lower 
slopes of the larger streams, consists of 100 feet or more of greenish 
and white or drab sandy clays, sands, and sandstones, and is locally 
water bearing. The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by several 
hundred feet of water-bearing limestones interbedded with sands, 
which probably represent, in descending order, the Chattahoochee 
and Vicksburg formations of the Oligocene a.nd the Jackson forma- 
tion of the Eocene. 

The aggregate thickness of the limestones probably amounts to 
400 or 500 feet and they may be expected to yield large quantities of 
water. The Jackson formation is known to be underlain by strata 
of Eocene age and these in turn by strata of Cretaceous age, but defi- 
nite information concerning the deposits is lacking. The Cretaceous 
strata probably rest upon a deeply buried surface of ancient crystal- 
line rocks. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

In Colquitt County dug wells 15 to 50 feet in depth are the chief 
source of domestic water supply, furnishing an abundance of soft 
water. As no hard rocjv is encountered such wells are dug at small 
expense. Small seepage springs exist but are not used extensively. 
The waters of ponds and streams are used to some extent for stock 
and for boilers. Deep wells have been reported from Moultrie, 
Doerun, and Norman Park. 

The prospects for obtaining artesian water from the Oligocene and 
Eocene limestones at depths of 300 to 700 feet throughout the county 
are good, and it is probable that abundant supplies can be obtained 
at still greater depths from the Eocene and Cretaceous deposits. It 
is believed that flowing wells can not be obtained in the county. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Moultrie (population 3,349, census of 1910). — Moultrie, the county 
seat, owns a municipal water-supply system and obtains water from 
two deep wells. The first well, according to McCallie, 1 was drilled in 
1897. It is 571 feet deep and is 6 inches in diameter; the principal 
water-bearing stratum is at a depth of 486 feet, and the water rises to 
within 220 feet of the surface. The following log was furnished to 
T. W. Vaughan by S. S. Chandler, the driller: 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 84-85, 1908. 



COLQUITT COUNTY. 207 

Log of town well at Moultrie (No. 2, Table 23). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Mostly yellow clay 

Clay and light-colored sand, the clay at top 

A thin bed of limestone on top, gray sandstone below 

Blue clay with layers of sand 

Layers, with blue clay between 

(The character of the material interbedded with the blue clay is not known.) 
Limestone with interbedded strata of other rock, water bearing in part 



Feet. 
30 
55 
55 
180 
100 

151 



Feet. 

30 

85 

140 

320 

420 

571 



The following is an analysis, by Edgar Everhart, 1 of water from 
the well just described: 

Analysis of water from town well at Moultrie (No. 2, Table 23). 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 23 

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe 2 03+Al 2 3 ) 6. 2 

Calcium (Ca) 18 

Magnesium (Mg) 7.2 

Sodium (Na) 24 

Potassium (K) 11 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 138 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 12 

Chlorine (CI) 9. 5 

Total dissolved solids 160 

Free carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) 42 

According to McCallie, the second well (No. 3, Table 23) was 
drilled in 1902, is 506 feet deep, and is 8 inches in diameter. The 
water-bearing bed tapped at a depth of 486 feet in the first well was 
also tapped in this well. It is believed to be in either the Vicksburg 
or the Jackson formation. 

Doerun (population 630, census of 1910). — At Doerun domestic 
water supplies are derived chiefly from dug wells 25 to 60 feet deep. 
These wells furnish soft water. The town owns one deep well (No. 1, 
Table 23), completed in 1910, which is 460 feet deep and is 4 inches in 
diameter at the top and 3 J inches in diameter at the bottom. The 
water is reported to come from sand at a depth of 410 feet; it rises to 
within 18 feet of the surface but is lowered to 25 feet by pumping. 
The water-bearing stratum is probably in either the Vicksburg forma- 
tion (Oligocene) or the Jackson formation (Eocene). 

Norman Parle (population 648, census of 1910). — Norman Park is 
located on the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad, in the 
northern part of the county. The domestic water supply is derived 
chiefly from dug wells 15 to 40 feet deep. One deep well (No. 4, 
Table 23), on the campus of Norman Institute, supplies water for the 

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 84-85, 1908. 



208 UNDERGROUND WATERS OE COASTAL PLAIN OE GEORGIA. 

college and for some of the inhabitants of the village. According to 
F. E. McCalman this well is 585 feet deep, is nonflowing, and furnishes 
350 gallons of water a minute by pumping. ' The water is described 
as hard and as having a sulphurous odor. This well probably taps 
a water-bearing stratum in the Jackson formation. 

Table 23. — Wells in Colquitt County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


1 






M. A. Jarrard. .. 


J. L. Dowling, mayor 

S. W. McCallieo 


1910 


? 




do 


1897 


3 


do 


....do 




do 


1902 


4 


Norman Park 


Norman Institute . . . 


Mr. Cole 


F. E. McCalman 


1904 









No. 



Depth. 



Feet. 
460 
571 

506 
585 



Diam- 
eter. 



Inches. 
6 



Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 



Feet. 
410 



486 
329-5S5 



Level 

of 
water 
below 
surface. 



Feet. 

18 

220 



Yield per 
minute. 



Flow. 



Galls. 



Pump. 



Galls. 



350 



How obtained. 



Gasoline engine. 



Air-compressor pump . 



Quality. 



Sulphurous. 
Moderately hard; see 
analysis, p. 207. 

Hard, sulphurous. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Vieksburg or Jack- 
son formation. 
do 


Sand 


Cost of well, $600. 


f, 


Municipal supply. 
...do 


Limestone? 

....do 


Cased to 42 feet. See log, p. 207. 


3 


.do 


4 




Jackson forma- 
tion? 












to 329 feet. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 84, 85, 1908. 
COLUMBIA COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 



Columbia County is in the eastern part of Georgia on the border 
between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Its 
area is 350 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 12,328. 
Agriculture is its chief industry. 



TOPOGRAPHY. 

A relatively small area in the southern part of the county lies 
within the Coastal Plain, the remainder forming a part of the Pied- 
mont Plateau. The Coastal Plain area is on the northern border of 
the fall-line hills. Most of the drainage is through the headwater 
streams of Brier Creek and Spirit Creek, tributaries of Savannah 



CRAWFORD COUNTY. 209 

River, but a part of it passes northward, through small creeks which 
are also tributaries of the Savannah. The surface is hilly, the 
maximum relief being between 150 and 200 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

The ancient crystalline rocks which outcrop at the surface over the 
greater part of the county north of the Georgia Railroad are overr 
lapped in the southern part of the county principally by coarse, 
irregularly bedded arkosic sands and interbedded light clay lenses of 
Lower Cretaceous age. The deposits are relatively thin, reaching a 
thickness of perhaps 150 or 200 feet in the extreme south. On the 
divide between Boggygut and Sandy Run creeks, and extending 
northeastward to the vicinity of Grovetown, is an overlap from the 
south of Eocene sands and clays of the Claiborne group which 
probably attains a thickness of 75 or 100 feet. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.) 

WATER RESOURCES. 

In the Cretaceous area small springs and dug wells 10 to 100 feet 
deep, drawing from sand beds in the Lower Cretaceous, are the chief 
sources of domestic water supply. Wells at Grovetown and Harlem 
begin in a covering of Eocene strata of varying thickness, but most of 
them completely penetrate this and enter the underlying Lower Cre- 
taceous deposits. The waters from the Lower Cretaceous sands are 
soft and of good quality, except where contaminated. 

The deposits of the Coastal Plain do not develop important artesian 
pressure within the county. The water table is low and only moder- 
ate amounts of water are available. 

CRAWFORD COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Crawford County is in the west-central part of the State on the 
border between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic and Gulf 
Coastal Plain. Its area is 319 square miles and its population (census 
of 1910) is 8,310. Agriculture and horticulture are the chief 
industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The portion of the county included in the Coastal Plain forms a 
part of the fall-line hills. The drainage of the Coastal Plain area is 
received in part by Flint River through its tributary, Spring Creek, 
and in part by Ocmulgee River through its tributaries, Echeconnee 
and Mossy creeks. 

In general the surface is hilly, but on the divide between the Flint 
and Ocmulgee river systems there are small areas of the original 

38418°— wsp 341—15 14 



210 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

upland plain which have been only slightly dissected. The maxi- 
muni topographic relief probably does not exceed 300 feet. 

Locally there are thin accumulations of loose, gray, surficial sand 
which is residual from older formations, but which has undergone 
more or less shifting by winds and torrents. 

GEOLOGY. 

The northern part of Crawford County, embracing less than half 
the total area, lies within the Piedmont Plateau, and the remainder 
of the county lies within the Coastal Plain. The crystalline rocks, 
which appear at the surface in the Piedmont Plateau, pass southward 
beneath the deposits of the Coastal Plain and form the basement 
upon which the latter rest. 

Deposits of Cretaceous, Eocene, and Pleistocene age are present 
in the Coastal Plain area. The Lower Cretaceous deposits, which 
consist of several hundred feet of coarse, irregularly bedded, arkosic 
sands, with subordinate lenses of light drab to white clay, rest 
immediately upon the crystalline rocks and appear at the surface 
in a belt 3 to 6 miles wide along the northern border of the Coastal 
Plain. 

These deposits are unconformably overlain by irregularly bedded 
coarse to fine sands and laminated to massive clays belonging to 
the Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation, which may reach 
a thickness of 150 or 200 feet within the county. The member 
appears at the surface in a belt several miles wide along the south- 
eastern side of the county. 

The Cusseta sand is unconformably overlain, over a part of the 
area, by 15 to 25 feet of red ferruginous sand referable to the Clai- 
borne group of the Eocene. In a small area, perhaps a few miles 
square, known as Rich Hill, about 5 miles southeast of Roberta, 
Eocene strata belonging to the Jackson formation rest unconformably 
upon the Lower Cretaceous sands and clays. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.) 

On the lower levels bordering Flint River thin Pleistocene terrace 
deposits have been laid down in small areas. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

No deep artesian wells have been reported from the portion of 
the county lying within the Coastal Plain. Supplies for domestic 
purposes are obtained entirely from dug wells 25 to 100 feet or more 
in depth and from small springs. Waters from both wells and 
springs are in general of good quahty and are commonly soft. 

No springs of especial note have been reported. Small springs, 
emitting as a rule not more than 10 or 12 gallons of water per minute, 
are fairly numerous. 



CRAWFORD COUNTY. 



211 



Detailed information concerning several dug wells is included in 
Table 24 (Nos. 1-8), and from this an idea may be had of the supply 
of the region. Logs of two of the wells are given below, the owners 
being authority for the lithology : 

Log ofivell of Isaac Miller, 4\ miles northwest of Fort Valley (Crawford County) (No. 1, 

Table 24). 



Eocene? : 

Clay 

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Cusseta sand member 

Yellow sand 

White sand with some purple sand 

Dark gravel and rocks [pebbles ?] 

Lower Cretaceous ? : 

"Chalk " [clay] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Feet. 
25 

50 
15 
10 



Depth. 



Feet. 



25 

75 
90 
100 

103 



Log of well of J. W. George, half a mile south of Leepope (No. 2, Table 24). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Eocene? : 

son 

Stiff red clay 

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Cusseta sand member: 

"Chalk " [clay] and gravel 

Coarse sand and gravel, some water 

Blue "chalk" [clay] 

Coarse brown sand 

White and blue sticky "chalk " [clay] 

Fine sand and gravel, water bearing 

Sand rock. 



Feet. 

2 

20 

10 
3 
12 
18 
3 
4 



The clay at the bottom of the section first given may correspond 
to the clay at the base of the section in the railway cuts north of 
Zenith. It is therefore tentatively referred to the Lower Cretaceous. 

Numerous small creeks and branches in the Coastal Plain area 
afford ample supplies of excellent water for stock and for steam 
production. 

The Cretaceous deposits which underlie the southern part of the 
county, and which include the Lower Cretaceous deposits and tne 
Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation (Upper Cretaceous), 
contain numerous coarse beds of sand capable of carrying large 
quantities of water. These are reached at shallow depths along 
the northern border of the area and at increasingly greater depths 
southward. They would be tapped along the southeastern border 
of the county at depths of 100 to 500 feet. The water from these 
beds would be soft and of good quality. 

Although no flowing wells have been reported it may be possible 
to obtain such in the bottom lands bordering Flint River in the 
extreme south. 



212 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 24. — Wells in Crawford County. 



Location. 



Owner. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 



Fort Valley, 4h miles northwest of 

Leepope, A mile south of 

Leepope, imilesoutheast of 

Leepope 

Roberta, J mile southwest of 

Roberta 

Zenith, 1 mile northwest of 

Zenith, J mile northeast of 



Isaac Miller 

J. W. George 

L. H. George 

Leepope Fruit Co. 



Wm. J. Dent 

J. S.Sandefur&Co. 

Phil Ogletree 

Mrs. C. E. Pearson. 



Owner 

do 

do 

W. H. McCarty, 
Leepope, Ga. 

Owner 

Wm.J.Dent 

Owner 

A. B. Young, Ze- 
nith, Ga. 



1890 



Feet. 
535 
550 
540 
545 



1891 
'lS90" 



575 
575 



Depth. 



Diam- 
eter. 



Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 



Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 



Level 
of 

water 
below 
surface. 



Yield per min- 
ute by pump- 
ing. 



How obtained. 



Quality. 



Feet. 
103 

72 
56 

57 

45 
30 
45 
70 



Feet. 
3 

3 

<z4 

63 

n6 

6 3J 

3 

6 

3 

3 



Feet. 
100 



70.5 
55 



Feet. 



Feet. 



35 



69 


Small 


50-56 

45-52 


4 gallons , 


38-43 
26 


Abundant 

do 


40 




68-70 


Small 



Suction pump, gas- 
oline engine. 
Bu cket and rope. . . 

Gasoline engine... 

/Gasoline engine 
\ and windmill. 

Hand pump 

Suction pump 

Gasoline engine. . . 

Bucket and rope.. 



[■Ferruginous. 
Soft. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Cusseta sand mem- 
ber of Ripley 
formation. 

do 


Gravel 


Dug. See section, p. 211. 

Dug. Yield is decreased by drouth; 

see section, p. 211. 
Dug. Cost of pump, S40. 
Dug. Supplies 20 to 200 people and 30 

head of stock. 


?, 


do 


Sand and gravel.. 
Sand 


3 


do 


do 


4 


do 


do 


do 


5 


do 


Lower Cretaceous. 


do 


6 




do 


Sand and gravel?. . 
Sand and gravel . . 


pump. Six similar wells in imme- 
diate vicinity. 


7 




Lower Cretaceous? 
Lower Cretaceous. 


cotton gin, sawmill, and planing mill. 


8 


do 


of pumps, S200. 
Dug. Cribbed from top to bottom. 









a Diameter at top of well. 



6 Diameter at bottom of well. 



CRISP COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 



Crisp County is in the West-central part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Its area is 277 square miles and its population (census of 
1910) is 16,423. Agriculture is the principal industry, and lumbering, 



CRISP COUNTY. 213 

though declining, is still carried on to an important extent. Cordele, 
the county seat, is 65 miles south of Macon. It has an ice factory, a 
cotton-cloth mill, a cottonseed-oil mill, a fertilizer factory, and other 
smaller manufacturing plants. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is nearly level to slightly rolling. The western part, 
from a few miles west of Cordele to Flint River, is directly underlain 
by limestone and the surface is nearly level but has some lime sinks. 
Flint River is bordered by two Pleistocene terrace plains. The first 
lies 15 to 20 feet above the river level and is well denned; the second 
lies about 60 feet above the same datum, and although somewhat 
modified by erosion is easily recognizable. The elevation of this 
part of the county is estimated to be between 200 and 300 feet above 
sea level. The eastern part of the county is directly underlain by 
sands and clays and presents the low, smoothly rounded hills or 
undulations and the shallow dish-shaped valleys peculiar to the Alta- 
maha upland or wire-grass region. This area is estimated to lie 300 
to 400 feet above sea level. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Vicksburg formation, which consists of 150 feet or more of soft, 
cavernous, water-bearing limestones interbedded with sands and 
clays, forms the surface terrane in the western part of the county. 
It is overlain by the Chattahoochee formation, which consists of 100 
feet or less of limestones, sands, and clays similar to those composing 
the Vicksburg, and which outcrops in a limited area in the southwest- 
central part of the county east of the belt of outcrop of the Vicksburg. 
The Chattahoochee formation is overlain by 50 or 100 feet of sands 
and sandy clays of the Alum Bluff formation, which outcrops in a 
narrow area east of the outcrop of the Chattahoochee formation. 
The Alum Bluff formation is overlain by 50 to 100 feet of sandy clays 
and sands, which appear at the surface over approximately the eastern 
half of the county. 

Beneath the Vicksburg formation, but not appearing at the surface 
in the county, are undifferentiated deposits of Eocene age, probably 
representing the Jackson formation, the Claiborne group, and the 
Wilcox and Midway formations, all of which contain water-bearing 
beds. The Eocene deposits are underlain by deposits of Cretaceous 
age, which aggregate probably 1,500 to 2,500 feet in thickness and 
which contain water-bearing beds. The Cretaceous deposits rest 
upon a deeply buried basement of crystalline rocks. 



214 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

In the rural districts dug wells 20 to 50 feet deep are the source 
of water for general domestic use. The water of creeks and ponds 
is used to some extent for stock. 

There are small seepage springs and a few bold limestone springs. 
At Cordele the municipal water supply was formerly derived from 
a large spring in the northwestern part of the city, but this became 
polluted and was abandoned. 

It is believed that large supplies of artesian water can be obtained 
anywhere in the county at depths not exceeding 500 feet, but these 
waters are apt to be hard. Waters containing smaller amounts of 
mineral matter can probably be obtained at greater depths from the 
Eocene and Cretaceous deposits. 

Flowing wells are obtained in the western part of the county, and 
estimates based on the height to which the water rises in the city 
wells at Cordele, show that flows can be obtained in the vicinity in 
places where the surface is 35 or 40 feet lower than that of the 
Georgia Southern & Florida Kailway station. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Cordele (population 5,883, census of 1910). — The municipal water 
supply of Cordele is derived from three wells (Nos. 11-13, Table 25), 
located near the railway station about 326 feet above sea level. 

The first well (No. 12, Table 25) was drilled in 1890, but was later 
abandoned. It is reported to have been 550 feet deep and to have 
found water which rose to within 20 feet of the surface. J. W. 
Spencer 1 gives the following record : 

Partial log of first city well at Cordele (No. 12, Table 25). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Soil, clay, and "chalk" 

Coarse red sand 

Loose bowlder rock, through which the tubing was driven (fine white sand was also 

found) 

Different colored marls (clays or true marls ?) 

Limestone and shell rock with an intervening layer of sand 

Sand and shell rock 

Quicksand 



Feet. 
40 
20 



100 

232 

75 

60 



Feet. 
40 
60 



168 
400 
475 
535 



The well may have penetrated the top of the Ripley formation of 
the Upper Cretaceous, but definite proof is lacking. 

The second well (No. 13, Table 25), drilled in 1900, is 396 feet deep 
(400 feet?) and 8 inches in diameter. Its daily yield is 300,000 + 
gallons. (See analysis 2, Table 26.) 

1 Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 79, 1S91. 



CRISP COUNTY, 



215 



Information concerning the third city well (No. 11, Table 25) has 
been furnished by J. A. Little John, the county clerk. The principal 
water-bearing bed is at a depth of 735 feet and is believed to be in 
the Ripley formation. (See analysis 3, Table 26.) 

For comparison with the waters from the deeper wells a sample of 
water from a well (No. 14, Table 25) of lesser depth at Cordele was 
analyzed (Table 26, analysis 4). This well is owned by J. W. Cannon 
and is located in the eastern part of the city; its depth is 155 feet 
and its diameter is 4| inches, and it yields by pumping about 17 
gallons per minute. The static level of the water is at 57 feet beneath 
the surface. 

Coney and vicinity. — Several artesian wells at and near Coney (Nos. 
2-10, Table 25) range in depth from 216 to 360 feet, and most of them 
flow small streams a few feet above the surface. The wells yield 
clear, potable waters which give off an odor of hydrogen sulphide. 
An analysis of water from a spring 2 miles west of Coney, owned by 
the Georgia Land Corporation, is given in Table 26 (analysis 1). 
The source of this spring is probably the Vickburg formation. 

Logs of several wells near Coney are as follows : x 

Log of J. M. Campbell's well at Coney (No. 4, Table 25). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Yellow clay 

Soft limestone 

Hard, compact limestone 

Limestone containing shells 

Blue clay 

Hard, compact limestone 

Blue clay 

Limestone with shells 

Marl and coarse sand to bottom of well 



Feet. 
20 
25 

6 
40 
45 

8 
36 
20 
85 



Feet. 

20 

45 

51 

91 

136 

144 

180 

200 

285 



Partial log of well owned by Daniel Wells, S miles west of Coney (No. 6, Table 25). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Yellow clay 

Limestone 

Subterranean cavity. 

Limestone 

Pebbles 

Clay. 



Limestone 

Bluish clay 

Limestone" 

Dark-colored sand; shells with sharks' teeth. 
Flint. 



Dark-colored sand. 

Limestone 

Bottom of -well 



Feet. 
12 
28 



5 
28 

2 
40 
14 
71 

1.1 

3 
(?) 



Feet. 

12 

40 

48 

56 

61 

89 

91 
131 
145 
216 
217.5 
220.5 
(?) 
336 



i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 92-94, 1908. 



216 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Log of P. C. Clegg's well, 6 miles vjest of Coney (No. 7, Table 25). 



Depth. 



Gray sandy clay 

Blue clay 

Limestone 

Coarse sand 

Fossiliferous limestone 

Blue clay 

Shell rock and coral 

Flint, in thin layers of limestone to the bottom of the well. 




Partial log of James Byrom' s well near Coney (No. 8, Table 25). 



Depth. 




Yellow clay 

Limestone 

Cavity 

Limestone 

Cavity 

Bluish clay 

Dark-colored sand 

Limestone 

Cavity 

Limestone 

Flint 

Fine white sand 

Flint... 

Dark-colored sand and pebbles 
Bottom of well 



Table 25. — Wells in Crisp County. 



No. 



Location. 



Owner. 



Driller. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 



Arabi. . 
Coney. 

do. 

do. 

do. 



Coney, 3 miles west of. 
Coney, 6 miles west of. 
Coney, 2 miles west of. 
Coney, 4 miles north- 
west of. 
Coney, 2 miles west of. 



Cordele. 

do.. 

do.. 



R. A. Bedgood 

S. W. Coney 

J. B. Lewis 

J. M. Campbell 

S. E. Cunningham. 



Daniel Wells.. 
P.C.Clegg.... 

James Byrom . 
S.CClegg.... 



Georgia Land Cor- 
poration. 

City 

do 

do 



Cordele, 1 mile east of. 
Penia 



J. W. Cannon. 



H. R. Teal, 
Richwood, Ga, 



John Cole 

John E. Cole. 



S.W.McCalliea.. 

do 

do 

do 

W. H. Cunning- 
ham. 
S.W.McCalliea.. 

do 

do 

S.W. Coney 



W. H. Byrom. 



1890 
1896 



1900 



F. E. Fenn. 



J. A. Littlejohn... 

S.W.McCalliea... 

R. W. Barwick, 
superintendent 
of waterworks. 

Owner 

S.W.McCalliea... 



1909 

1905 
1890 
1897 



1911 



Feet. 
399 



(») 



326 
326 
326 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 91-94, 96-97, 1908. 

i> Mouth of well 15 feet above Seaboard Air Line Ry. track at railroad station. 



CRISP COUNTY. 

Table 25. — Wells in Crisp County — Continued. 



217 





Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
298 
278 
360 
285 
250 
336 
216 
360 
290 
230 

735 

550 
396 
155 
320 


Inches. 
6 
6 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Fed. 


Gaits. 


Galls. 






? 






+ 3 

- 6 
+ 4 
+ 1.2 
+ 5 
+ 4 
+ 8 
+ 2J 
+ . 3J 

1-32 

- 20 

- 18 

- 57 
-120 


15 


15 


Flows 




s 


340 


150,225 






4 


Flows 




H 


34 

3" 

4 

2 

4 

3 

6 


240-250 




35 




do 


Sulphurous. 


6 




do 


7 


200 


60,96 


6 




do..; 




8 




do 




q 










do 




in 






100 
500 




do 


Soft. 


n 
1' 


*735 


| 160 
\ 400 
I 600 




Air-lift pump 


Analysis 3, Table 26. 


n 


8 
4 


375 

67 






200+ 
17 




Analysis 2, Table 26. 
Analysis 4, Table 26. 


14 
15 


Gasoline engine. . . 

















No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 










9 




do 






T 




do 






4 




do 


Marl and coarse 
sand. 




•i 


Domestic and boil- 
er supply. 


do 


3-J-inch casing to 240 feet. Cost of well, 
"$250. 


fi 


do 


Limestone 

do 


7 




.:...do 




8 




do 






t) 




do 






10 




do 




4 wells. Cost of well, $300. 


11 
1? 


Municipal supply. 


Ripley formation? . 


Limestone 


6-inch casing to 600 feet. Cost of well, 
$300; cost of machinery, $1,700. 


13 


Municipal supply. 
Domestic 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 

Alum Bluff forma- 
tion? 

Vickburg forma- 
tion? 




14 
15 


Sand and marl 


4J-inch casing to 69 feet. Cost of well 
and machinery, $750. 











Table 26. — Analyses of underground waters from Crisp County. 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 
2 


June 10,1911 


Spring of Geor- 
gia Land Cor- 
poration. 


Coney, 2 miles 
west of. 


Vicksburg for- 
mation? 

do 


Feet. 

375 

735 

67 


Edgar Everhart. 
Do.<* 


3 


Apr. 18,1911 
May 20,1911 


do 


do 


Ripley forma- 
tion? 

Alum Bluff for- 
mation? 


Do. 


4 


Well of J. "W. 
Cannon. 


Cordele, 1 mile 
east of. 


Do. 



o Georgia Geol. Survey BulL 15, p. 92, 1908. 



218 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Table 26. — Analyses of underground waters from Crisp County — Continued. 

[Parts per million.] 













, 


CD 


CD 


CD 






















ft 


^ 


O 


F-1 














O 




"3" 
a 


"So 

a 

a 




73 

a>0 


T3 
03 

■§9 


o 
-a 

03 -^ 


o 
■a . 

OS'S 
HO 


5 


o . 


Remarks. 






w 


5. 


a 




aa 

3 3 


o 




5" 


CD~^ 


3 


AS 






6 


3 


a 

o 

H 


o 

o 


03 


T3 M 
O 


OS 

o 


3 


ft 

3 

OQ 




3 
o 


o 

EH 






1 


34 


0. 4 


56 


0.4 


6.0 


Trace. 


159 


9.0 


0.2 


4.5 


196 






2 


11 


a 2. 9 


44 


1.1 


4.6 


0.0 


134 


4.4 




5.6 


141 


No. 13, Table 25. 
bon dioxide=2. 


Free car- 


3 


39 


1.2 


46 


5.2 


5.8 


.0 


195 


6.4 




5.5 


261 


No. 11, Table 25. 




4 


9.0 


.2 


44 


Trace. 


11 


.0 


150 


8.0 


1.0 


3.5 


172 


No. 14, Table 25 
depth, 155 feet. 


Total 



a re 2 03+Al 2 03. 



DECATUR COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 

Decatur County is in the extreme southwestern part of the State, 
adjacent to Florida and Alabama. Its area is 823 square miles and 
its population is 29,045 (census of 1910). Agriculture is important 
and the production of lumber and naval stores is extensive. Manu- 
facturing establishments at Bainbridge include cottonseed-oil mills, 
a foundry, an ice factory, a cooperage works, and smaller plants. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The eastern and western parts of the county present different 
topographic aspects. The western part, which lies mainly west of 
Flint River, but includes also small areas on the east side of the river 
north of Bainbridge, is nearly level and lies for tne most part between 
100 and 150 feet above sea level. Lime sinks and ponds are common, 
and the area is notable for the absence of small tributary creeks and 
branches, a part of the drainage being underground. Chattahoochee 
River has only small, unnamed tributaries within the county. 

The surface in the eastern part of the comity lies 200 to 300 feet 
above sea level, is rolling or broken, and is drained by small creeks 
and branches. This higher land is separated from the lower land in 
the west by a pronounced escarpment which extends northeastward 
from the southwest corner of the county to a point within 7 miles 
of Bainbridge, whence it continues to the northeast corner of the 
county. The escarpment is well marked west of Climax. The differ- 
ence in elevation between Bainbridge on Flint River and Climax, 9 
miles away, is 175 feet, the greater part of this ascent being in the first 
2 or 3 miles west of Climax. The difference between the eastern and 
western parts of the county is due in part to differences in the surface 
formations and in part to differences in elevation; in the east the 



DECATUR COUNTY. 219 

surface is higher and is underlain by sands and clays; in the west the 
low plain is underlain by soft limestones. 

Chattahoochee River is bordered by two Pleistocene terrace plains, 
one lying 20 or 30 feet and the other 75 or 80 feet above the river. 
Flint River is also bordered by two terrace plains, one lying 15 or 20 
feet and the other 40 or 50 feet above the river. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Vicksburg formation, which consists of at least 400 feet of soft, 
cavernous, water-bearing limestones, outcrops throughout approxi- 
mately the northwestern half of the county. The beds dip southward 
2 or 3 feet to the mile, passing beneath the Chattahoochee formation, 
which consists of about 100 feet of limestones, outcropping in an irreg- 
ular belt 1 to 6 miles wide, extending northeast and southwest through 
the central part of the county. The Alum Bluff formation, which 
consists of 100 or 150 feet of drab sandy clays and quartz sands, over- 
lies the Chattahoochee formation and outcrops in an irregular belt 
2 to 5 miles wide southeast of the Chattahoochee belt and in the small 
headwater valleys of Little River in the southeastern part of the 
county. The deposits contain water-bearing beds. The Alum Bluff 
formation is overlain by 50 to 75 feet of irregularly bedded sands and 
clays, in part water bearing, which outcrop over the remainder of the 
southeastern part of the county. The geologic age of these beds is 
not positively determined. 

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by several hundred feet of 
undifferentiated Eocene strata which are water bearing in part and 
are in turn underlain by undifferentiated Cretaceous strata, also 
believed to be water bearing. At an unknown depth the Cretaceous 
rocks rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. (See PI. III.) 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

In the western part of the county the dug wells range in depth from 
40 to 75 feet. Wells that penetrate only the residual sands and clays 
resulting from the weathering of the limestone of the Vicksburg 
formation yield soft waters, and those that pass through the residual 
materials and enter the underlying limestones yield hard waters. In 
the eastern part of the county the wells are somewhat shallower and 
commonly yield softer waters. 

In the vicinity of Donaldsonville, Iron City, Brinson, Reynolds- 
ville, and Boyettville drilled wells ranging in depth from 100 to 500 
feet reach the limestones at depths of 60 to 100 feet and obtain water 
which rises to within 40 or 50 feet of the surface. 

Many limestone springs and small seepage springs are used locally 
for domestic purposes. The largest are Russell Springs, near the 



220 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

mouth of Spring Creek, and Blue Spring, 4 miles south of Bainbridge, 
both of which yield large quantities of water and seem to be the out- 
lets of underground streams. They belong to the type of large lime- 
stone springs common in southern Georgia and Florida. Most of the 
springs of the western part of the county yield hard water. The 
waters of creeks and ponds are utilized in a small way for stock and 
boiler supply. 

Artesian water can be obtained throughout the county at depths 
of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. With the possible exception of wells 
1,200 to 2,000 feet or more in depth the static head will not be suffi- 
cient to lift the water above the surface. Flint River is bordered by 
a tract of land lying approximately 100 feet above sea level, hi which 
flowing wells can probably be obtained from the deeply buried Eocene 
or Cretaceous deposits which yield flows in the adjoining counties of 
Baker, Calhoun, and Dougherty. A similar narrow strip of low- 
lying land borders Spring Creek. It is possible that wells drilled to 
the greater depths mentioned may yield flows on some of the low, 
nearly level interstream areas. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Bainbridge (population 4,217, census of 1910). — Bainbridge owns 
three artesian wells. At present the principal supply is obtained 
from one well (No. 2, Table 27). 

The following record of this well was furnished to T. W. Vaughan 
by S. S. Chandler: 

Log of city well at Bainbridge (No. 2, Table 27). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Surface sands and clays 

Limestone 

Light-colored sandstone 
Limestone with shells?. 
Sand at bottom 



Feet. 
70 
165 
30 
186 
1 



Feet. 
70 
235 
265 
451 
452 



Spencer 1 gives the following data regarding the old city wells, one 
of which is 900 feet deep and the other 1,250 feet deep: 

Log of 900-foot well at Bainbridge (No. 3, Table 27). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sand and clayey sand 

Limestone (the upper 200 feet the softer), no clay layers . 

Soft limestone 

Quicksand to bottom of well 



Feet. 

lb 

700 

50 

75 



Feet. 

75 

775 

825 

900 



1 Spencer, J. W,, Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, 1890-91, p. 55. 



DECATUR COUNTY. 221 

A second well was sunk within 3 feet of the first, which penetrated below the lime- 
stone to a depth of 425 feet [total depth, 1,250 feet] in quicksand. Sharks' teeth, 
lignite, and pyrite concretions came from some of the layers of sand. Several cavi- 
ties in the limestone were passed through, the deepest being 3 feet. 

Analyses of the waters from these wells are given in Table 28 
(analyses 1 and 2). 

Donaldsonville (population 747, census of 1910). — Drilled wells 
ranging in depth from 100 to 500 feet are the principal source of 
water. The town owns a system of waterworks and consumes about 
30,000 gallons of water a day, derived from wells. 

The wells are reported to enter rock at depths of 75 to 100 feet, and 
the water is said to rise to within 20 to 30 feet of the surface. An 
analysis of water (No. 3, Table 28) from a deep well at Donaldson- 
ville was made several years ago by H. C. White, but the depth from 
which the water was obtained is not given. McCallie * gives the 
log of a well at this place as follows : 

Log of well at Donaldsonville. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Varicolored sands and clays 

Sand and limestone, the latter made up largely of Nummulites 
Fine white sand and clay 



Feet. 

45 

5 

90 



Feet. 
45 
50 
140 



Iron City (population 459, census of 1910). — At Iron City drilled 
wells 150 to 175 feet deep are the principal source of water. These 
wells, which are reported to enter limestone at 60 to 100 feet, yield 
hard water. The public supply is pumped from a well and dis- 
tributed from a tank; the consumption is about 8,000 gallons a day. 

Lela. — The following log of a well (No. 8, Table 27) owned by the 
Chattahoochee Lumber Co., at Lela (3 or 4 miles southwest of Iron 
City), is adapted from a log published by Fuller and Sanford: 2 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 87, 1908. 

2 Fuller, M. L., and Sanford, Samuel, Record of deep-well drilling for 1905: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 
298, p. 200, 1906. 



222 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



Log of well owned by Chattahoochee Lumber Co. at Lela {No. 8, Table 27). 
[Samples furnished by Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., Charleston, S. C] 



Depth. 




Soft white clay with red streaks; coarse white sand and fine gravel 

Soft gray and buff sandy clay; soft water in large supply 

Soft, creamy-white, sandy limestone, containing Nummulites 

Soft brownish limy sandstone containing Nummulites 

Soft light-brown, sandy limestone, containing Nummulites 

Soft light-gray limestone, containing dark-green grains 

Soft white to light-buff sandy limestone containing Nummulites, Orbitoides, and Bryozoa. 

Soft greenish marl containing Nummulites? and Bryozoa 

Hard white to grayish-brown sandy limestone containing Nummulites and Bryozoa 

Soft white marl, may contain glauconite 

Fine gray sand; contains glauconite and bits of shells; some water 

Hard, light-brown, sandy limestone containing Nummulites and Orbitoides 

Medium to fine, light-gray sand; contains glauconite and bits of shells; has hard layers. . . 

Same sand, with very little glauconite 

Fine to medium gray sand containing layers of rock (probably white limestone) and very 

few grains of glauconite 

Same sand and rock with more glauconite 

Soft dark marl (no sample); water bearing at 737 feet 



580 
720 

918 



Rig used, hydraulic. Diameter of well, 6 and 2 inches. Casing used, 600 feet of 3-inch. Main supply 
of water from 737 feet. Water rises within 10 feet of surface. Yield, about 15 gallons per minute. 

The well probably penetrates to the lower part of the Eocene 
deposits or to the upper part of the Cretaceous deposits. A partial 
set of borings from the well is on file in the office of the United States 
Geological Survey (well No. 817). Specimens of Bryozoa obtained 
between 200 and 260 feet are related, according to R. S. Bassler, to 
the bryozoan fauna of Jackson age (Eocene) obtained from limestone 
at Wilmington, N. C, and may indicate either a Jackson or a Vicks- 
burg age. Specimens of Nummulites obtained from the same set 
of borings between the depths 60 and 400 feet, identified by Dr. J. A. 
Cushman, indicate, according to Dr. Vaughan, the Vicksburg age 
of the strata to this depth. 

Table 27. — Wells in Decatur County . 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


1 




A. Conn & Co 








Feet. 


? 




City 


Mr. Van Fleet... 


T. B. Maxwell 


1900 


no 


3 


.do.... 


do 


118 


4 


do 


...do 




do 




118 


5 






Mr. Mosley 


R. F. Kinley 






6 










139 


7 








do 






8 




Chattahoochee Lum- 
ber Co. 


Hughes Special- 
ty Well Drill- 
ing Co., Char- 
leston, S. C. 


Hughes Specialty 
Well Drilling 
Co. of Charles- 
ton, S. C, and 
the postmaster 
of Iron City. 


1905 




q 





















o Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, pp. 54-55, 1891. 



DECATUR COUNTY. 

Table 27. — Wells in Decatur County — Continued. 



223 





Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
below 

surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
700 
452 
900 

1,250 
150 
500 
175 

91S 

200 


Inches. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 

200 

50 

50 
50 
15 
20-30 
40 

} '» 


Galls. 


Galls. 


Air-lift pump 

Steam engine 




2 












Soft. 


3 






280-370 
370 
150 

/ 40 
\ 50-60 






Analysis 1, Table 28. 


4 












Analysis 2, Tablo 28. 




2 


100 
500 
150 

737 

200 


















Hard. 






15 
15 

25 




Slightly hard. 


8 




9 




Hard. 















No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Municipal supply, 

manufacturing. 

Municipal supply. 








9 






See log, p. 220. 
Do. 


3 






4 


do 








5 


Domestic, manu- 
facturing. 

Boiler supply, do- 
mestic. 

Domestic, manu- 
facturing. 

Abandoned 

Domestic 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 




Cost of well and machinery, $150. 


6 




7 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 






8 




8-inch casing to 80 feet; 3-inch casing to 


9 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 




602 feet; 2-inch casing to 740 feet. See 
log, p. 222. 











Table 28. — Analyses of underground waters from Decatur County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing-stratum. 


Depth 
of well. 


Analyst. 


1 


Town well 


Bainbridge 

do 




Feet. 
900 
1,250 
(?) 


H. C. White, a 


■?, 


do 


Eocene(?) 


Do. 


3 


Well of Chattahoochee Lum- 
ber Co. 




Do. 

























CD 


CD 


CD 




CD 


*0 


















O 






















"3 






T3 




O 




<3 


> 






O 




a 


a 


c3 


M 

a 


M 


T3 
03^, 


OS'S 


u 


OS 


o . 

™2 


Remarks. 




CO 
03 


CD 


a 

3 


.3 

CD 


a 

3 


a 
o 


CD CO 
'o3 v ^ 


CD w 


CD 

.a 


c3 ea 

5 e 


oS 




















P, 




o 








o 


m 


O 


03 

o 


C3 
3 


o 


o 


O 


3 


+3 

2 


O 


o 

> 


o 
Eh 




1 


3.9 


9.J8 


62 


4.6 


2 


s 


85 


58 




21. 




293 


No. 3, Table 27. 


2 


4.0 


.1 


29 


.1 


57 


82 


32 




17 


1.0 


221 


No. 4, Table 27. 


3 


38 


b.A 


26 


6.3 


8.3 1.4 




11 


1.0 


9.1 






Total hardness as CaCC>3, 71; per- 












manent hardness as CaCC>3, 32. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 87-89, 1908. 



b Fe 2 03+Al 2 03. 



224 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN" OF GEORGIA. 

DODGE COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Dodge Comity is in the north-central part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Eastman, the county seat, is 63 miles a little east of south 
of Macon. The area of the county is 431 square miles and, the popu- 
lation (census of 1910) is 20,127. Agriculture is the principal 
industry, but lumber and naval stores are produced in important 
quantities. The chief industrial use to which water is put is for 
boiler supplies at cotton gins and sawmills. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is nearly level to slightly rolling or undulating. The 
valleys are shallow and their slopes gentle. Limestone lies near the 
surface in the west and some lime-sink depressions occur. With 
the exception of the bottom lands along Ocmulgee Eiver, which are 
probably less than 200 feet above sea level, the elevation of the 
county is estimated to be 300 to 400 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Vicksburg formation (of Oligocene age), which consists of 100 
feet or less of limestones with interbedded layers of sand and clay, 
outcrops in the valley of Ocmulgee River in the northwestern part of 
the county; the strata dip slightly southward and underlie the 
remainder of the county beneath younger formations. 

The Vicksburg formation is overlain by probably not more than 100 
feet of the lithologically similar Chattahoochee formation (of Oligo- 
cene age), which outcrops in the valley of Ocmulgee River in the 
southwest. Both the Vicksburg and Chattahoochee formations con- 
tain important water-bearing beds. 

In the southern part of the county the Chattahoochee formation is 
overlain by the Alum Bluff formation (of Oligocene age), which con- 
sists of 150 or 200 feet of bluish sands and clays, in part water bearing. 

Overlapping the Alum Bluff, Chattahoochee, and Vicksburg for- 
mations and constituting the surface deposits throughout the greater 
part of the county is 75 feet or ]ess of irregularly bedded sands and 
clays, with subordinate lenses of claystone and conglomerate, the 
geologic age of which is not positively known. The water obtained 
in the shallow wells is derived from these surficial deposits. 

The Vicksburg formation is probably underlain by limestones 
belonging to the Jackson formation, which is in turn underlain by 
several hundred feet of undifferentiated deposits of Eocene age. 
The Eocene is underlain by 1,000 feet or more of undifferentiated 
deposits of Cretaceous age, which rest upon a basement of ancient 



DODGE COUNTY. 225 

crystalline rocks. Although the Eocene and Cretaceous deposits do 
not appear at the surface within the county, they contain deeply 
buried water-bearing beds of importance. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug wells, 10 to 50 feet deep, are the principal source of water for 
domestic use. They supply a water that is reported to be soft and 
that should be wholesome if the wells are properly located and pro- 
tected from surface drainage by casing and curbing. There are some 
small springs, most of which are unimportant as sources of water 
supply, though two of them, Jaybird Spring, 4 miles east of Chauncey, 
and Wild Rose Mineral Spring, near Southerland, supply waters that 
are sold for drinking. (See p. 226; also Table 30, analysis 2.) Deep 
wells have been drilled at Eastman, Chauncey, Chester, and Rhine. 

Artesian water can be obtained from the limestones of the Chatta- 
hoochee, Vicksburg, and Jackson formations, and from the deeply 
buried Eocene and Cretaceous deposits, but the prospect for obtain- 
ing flows is poor, except perhaps on the low terrace lands bordering 
Ocmulgee River and in the swamps of Little Ocmulgee River in the 
extreme southeastern part of the county. 

It is believed that the water from the deeply buried Cretaceous 
deposits is softer than that from the overlying Eocene and Oligocene 
formations. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Eastman (population 2,355, census of 1910). — The water-supply 
system of Eastman is owned by W. E. Davidson. The water is 
derived from a nonflowing artesian well (No. 5, Table 29) 640 feet 
deep, in which it rises to within 100 feet of the surface, or about 257 
feet above sea level. The water is considered hard but is otherwise 
suitable for a municipal supply. 

McCallie x gives the following data on another well at Eastman 
(No. 4, Table 29): 

The well at Eastman is 529 feet deep. Its diameter is 4 and 6 inches, and the water 
rises to within 115 feet of the surface. Two or three different water-bearing strata 
are reported in the well, but the present water supply is said to be obtained from sand 
529 feet from the surface. No record of the well borings was kept and nothing is 
known of the formations penetrated further than that they consist of sand, clay, and 
hard rock, the latter being most abundant and in places consisting largely of bowlders, 
which greatly interfered with the drilling. The well, which was put down in 1894, 
furnishes daily, to supply the town of Eastman, about 30,000 gallons of water. 

Chester (population 278, census of 1910). — Dug wells 25 to 35 feet 
deep are the principal source of water. One artesian well (No. 3, 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. CO, 1908. 
38418°— wsp 341—15 15 



226 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Table 29) owned by the Carson Naval Stores Co. is 158 feet deep, 
8 inches in diameter, and yields 6,000 gallons of water per hour. 
The principal flow is from a cavity in limestone at a depth of 158 feet, 
the water from which rose to within 109 feet of the surface. An 
analysis of the water is given in Table 30 (analysis 1). 

Partial log of well at Chester (No. 3, Table 29). 
[Authority, W. J. Floyd, driller.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sand 

Clay 

Lime or sand rock 

White clay 

Lime or sand rock 

Soft white clay 

Hard flint rock, 8 inches thick 

Open cavity, hard limestone at bottom. 



Feet. 

3 
93 
14.5 

5.5 
11.5 
13.5 
• 6§ 
16. 3 j 



Feet. 
3 

96 

110.5 
116 
127.5 
141 

141.6| 
158 



Chauncey (population 350, census of 1910). — Chauncey is located on 
the Southern Railway in the southeastern part of the county at an 
elevation of 300 feet above sea level. Dug wells 15 to 50 feet deep 
are the principal source of water. McCallie 1 states that one well (No. 1 , 
Table 29) owned by the A. B. Steele Lumber Co. is 525 feet deep and 
that water rose to within 70 feet of the surface. 

Jay Bird Spring. — Jay Bird Spring (No. 2, Table 29), owned by 
T. A. McMillan, is at the edge of Little Ocmulgee River swamp, 4 
miles east of Chauncey. The spring is in reality a shallow flowing 
well formed by driving a pipe into the earth about 15 feet. The 
water flows 8 gallons a minute and will rise 8 feet above the surface. 
The water has a reputed therapeutic value and is used at the spring 
for drinking and bathing and is also bottled and sold. (See analysis 2, 
Table 30.) 

Wild Rose Mineral Spring. — Wild Rose Mineral Spring is a small 
spring near Southerland, owned by the Wild Rose Mineral Spring Co. 
Its water has reputed therapeutic properties and is sold in small quan- 
tities for medicinal use. (See analysis 3, Table 30.) 

Rhine. — A well at Rhine (No. 6, Table 29), owned by the town, is 
150 feet deep. Its curb is about 20 feet above the level of the railroad 
station. Water stands within 30 feet of the surface but is lowered 
30 feet by pumping. It is reported to be muddy in rainy weather. 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 90, 1908. 



DODGE COUNTY. 
Table 29. — Wells in Dodge County. 



227 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


1 




A. B. Steele Lum- 
ber Co. 
T A. McMillan 


R.J. Edingfield. 


S. W. MeCalliea.. 




Feet. 
+300 




Jay Bird Spring, 4 
miles east of 
Chauncey. 


T. A. McMillan ... 






3 


Carson Naval Stores 
Co., Savannah,Ga. 


W. J. Floyd, 
Savannah, Ga. 


W.J.Floyd 

S.W.McCailiea... 


1910 
1894 


( b ) 


4 




357 


5 


do 






357 


6 












(c) 



















Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


-Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
525 
15 
158 
529 
640 
150 


Inches. 
6 


Feet. 
300 


Feet. 


Feet. 

- 70 
+ 8 
-109 
-115 
-100 

- 30 


Galls. 


Galls. 






? 


8 


100 
20 


Flows 


Analysis 2, Table 30. 


3 

4 


8 
4 


158 
529 




Deep-well pump . . 


Analysis 1, Table 30. 


5 






6 


3 


±100 






10 


Gasoline engine . . . 


Hard. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Drinking and 
bathing. 






. 


2 


Alum BlufE forma- 
tion? 

Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 






T 


Cavity in lime- 
stone. 


8-inch casing to 143 feet. Cost of well 
$850; cost of machinery, $350. See 
log, p. 226. 


4 


..do 


5 


.. do 


do 






6 


Domestic and 
boiler supply. 


Chattahoochee or 
Vicksburg for- 
mation? 


Clay and rock 





n Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 90, 1908. 

b Elevation 12 feet lower than track of Wrightsville & Tennille R. R. at station. 

c Elevation 20 feet higher than track of Seaboard Air Line Ry. at station. 



228 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Table 30. — Analyses of underground waters from, Dodge County. 

[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 














Feet. 




1 




1910 






Vicksburg for- 
mation. 


158 


Edgar Everhart. 








Naval Stores 












Co. 










2 


Jan. 


13, 1913 


Jay Bird Spring (e 
shallow well). 


Chauncey, 4 miles 
east of. 


Alum Bluff for- 
mation ? 


15 


Do. 


3 


Apr 


8, 1910 


Wild Rose Min- 


Southerland 


do 




Do. 








eral Spring. 
























o 


a 


(B 


a) 




o 


-a 




















a 








a 














&2 






T3 


T3 


O 


° 




03 














a 


^ 


M 


t-t 


1-1 • 


■a 


•3 . 






o . 




6 
SZ5 


o 
m 


a 

o 


O 

a 

'o 

o 


a 

a 

03 


a 

o 


a 

o 

Ph 


o 
£i 
03 

O 


03 
3 


CM 
03 

ft 

03 


So 

+^> 
03 
l-i 


o 

.a 

3 

Q 


T3 o> 
03 c3 

> 


"1 

"oS 

o 


Remarks. 


1 


28 


1.4 


35 


1.4 


2.4 


0.5 




112 


1.3 




4.2 




132 


No. 3, Table 29. 


2 


21 


2.0 


56 


4.0 


14 


0.0 


210 


14 


0.0 


4.0 




211 


No. 2, Table 29. 


3 


5.0 


.4 


1.3 


.5 


1.5 1 .5 




36 


.2 




3.5 




17 





DOOLY COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Dooly County is in the northwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia, between Flint and Ocmulgee rivers. Vienna, the county 
seat, is 56 miles by rail south of Macon. The area of the county is 
397 square miles and its population is 20,554 (census of 1910). Agri- 
culture is the chief industry. Lumber and naval stores are pro- 
duced, but these industries are declining. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The surface of Dooly County is nearly level except in the west, 
where some rolling land has been produced by the erosion of small 
tributaries of Flint River. Lime sinks and ponds are numerous. 
The highest part of the county is a belt of country 350 to 400 feet above 
sea level extending north and south through the center of the county 
and forming the divide between Flint and Ocmulgee rivers. The 
Georgia Southern & Florida Railway traverses this divide. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Vicksburg formation, which consists chiefly of limestones that 
weather to red argillaceous sands containing fragmental beds of flint, 
appears at the surface over the greater part of the county west of 
the Georgia Southern & Florida Railway and in a small area east of 
that railroad. Its thickness probably does not exceed 100 or 150 
feet in the north but increases southward. The formation is an 



DOOLY COUNTY. 229 

important aquifer. Fifty to 100 feet of sands and clays, of unde- 
termined age, overlie the Vicksburg formation and constitute the 
surface deDOsits in the eastern and southeastern parts of the county. 

The Vicksburg formation is believed to be underlain by limestones 
belonging to the Jackson formation, although this formation has not 
been certainly identified in either surface outcrops or well borings. 
Sands and clays with subordinate interbedded layers of sandstone and 
limestone belonging to the Claiborne group of the Eocene outcrop 
in the banks of Flint River and extend eastward beneath the Jack- 
son formation; these beds are estimated to be 100 feet or more in 
thickness. The Claiborne group is probably underlain by Eocene 
sands and clays belonging to the Wilcox or Midway formations, or to 
both, and at still greater depths the Eocene deposits are underlain by 
sands, clays, and marls of Cretaceous age. At an unknown depth, 
probably between 900 and 1,200 feet, the Cretaceous deposits rest 
upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. 

All the formations described, except perhaps the surficial sands 
and clays, may be considered possible sources of artesian water. The 
general lithologic character of the strata is indicated by the logs of 
wells at Byromville (p. 230) and Unadilla (p. 231). 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Wells 30 to 60 feet deep are the principal source of water supply in 
the rural districts. There are many small springs. Numerous small 
streams afford abundant water for stock and for boilers. Several 
wells range in depth from 130 to 1,100 feet. 

Artesian waters can be obtained from the Vicksburg formation, or 
at greater depths from the Eocene and the Cretaceous deposits. 
Flowing wells can probably be obtained only on the- lower lands bor- 
dering Flint River and its larger tributaries. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Vienna (population 1,564, census of 1910). — The town of Vienna 
owns a public water-supply system, which 'draws 800 gallons a min- 
ute from an artesian well (No. 8, Table 31) 213 feet deep. The water 
is used for domestic purposes and for fire protection and to some 
extent for boiler supplies. McCallie x mentions a well at this place 
180 feet deep, in which the water rises to within 12 feet of the sur- 
face. Some wells are 30 to 60 feet deep. 

For the purpose of determining the quality of water from the 
Vicksburg formation a sample from an artesian well 137^- feet deep 
(No. 9, Table 31), owned by J. T. McNeese, 5 miles northwest of 

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 96, 1908. 



230 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Vienna, was analyzed. (See Table 32, analysis 3.) The water is ob- 
tained from hard rock at a depth of 136 feet and rises to within 16 
feet of the surface. 

Unadilla (population 1,003, census of 1910). — At Unadilla the 
public water-supply system is owned by the town. McCallie l gives 
the following information regarding the well (No. 7, Table 31) from 
which it draws : 

The deep well at Unadilla was completed in 1896. It is 3£ inches in diameter and 
189 feet deep. The water rises to within 80 feet of the surface. Mr. E. J. Wilson, the 
well contractor, has furnished the following notes: 

Log of town well at Unadilla. 

Feet. 

Red, sandy clays to 50 

Rock in the form of bowlders to 66 

Clay to 150 

Sand interstratified with hard rock to 189 

At the depth of 150 feet from the surface the water used in washing out the drill 
borings disappeared. This was accounted for by the cavernous limestone struck at 
that point. The only water-bearing stratum occurs near the bottom of the well. 
Three thousand gallons of water per hour, the capacity of the pump, have been ob- 
tained from this well without lowering the static head. The water, which contains 
hydrogen sulphide, is used for general domestic purposes. 

It is believed that the well draws from the Jackson formation. 
An analysis is given in Table 32 (analysis 2). 

The Georgia Southern & Florida Railway owns an artesian well at 
Unadilla, the water from which is used in the boilers of locomotives. 

Byromville (population 300, census of 1910). — The main source of 
the water supply of Byromville is an artesian well (No. 1, Table 31) 
which was completed in 1902. The well is 1,100 feet deep, 8 inches 
in diameter" at the top and 5 inches at the bottom, and contains 
water that rises to within 16 feet of the surface. McCallie 2 gives 
the following log : 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 95, 1908. 2 Idem, pp. 96, 97. 



DOOLY COUNTY. 

Log of town well at Byromville {No. 1, Table 31). 



231 



Sandy clay 

Red gravel 

White sand 

Coarse sand 

Blue marl 

Sand 

Rock 

Marl 

Sand rock 

Blue marl 

Sand 

Hard rock 

Sand 

Rock 

Sand rock 

Marl and clay 

Blue marl 

Sand and marl... 
Lignite and water 

Marl and sand 

Hard sand 

Sand and water.. 

Marl 

Sand 

Marl 



Thick- 
ness. 



Feet. 

40 

10 

60 

23 

25 

37 

15 

3 

5 

5 

4 

3 

185 

23 

12 

4 

160 

16 

15 

204 

70 

15 

76 

37 

53 



Depth. 



Feet. 
40 
50 
110 
133 
158 
195 
210 
213 
218 
223 
227 
230 
415 
438 
450 
454 
614 
630 
645 
849 
919 
934 
1.010 
1.047 
1,100 



The well penetrates all the Eocene deposits and enters the under- 
lying Ripley formation of the Cretaceous for probably several hun- 
dred feet. The principal water-bearing bed is said to be at 320 feet. 
An analysis is given in Table 32 (analysis 1). 

Pinehurst (population 451, census of 1910). — At Pinehurst an 
artesian well (No. 4, Table 31) 318 feet deep is the principal source 
of domestic supply. The water rises to within 8 feet of the surface. 

The Georgia Southern & Florida Railway Co. owns an artesian 
well at Pinehurst but has abandoned it. 

RichiDood. — Richwood obtains its water supplies from dug wells 
20 to 30 feet deep and from artesian wells. McCallie 1 says: 

The Parrott Lumber Co. some years ago put down two deep wells at Richwood to 
obtain water for steam and general domestic purposes [No. 5, Table 31]. These wells 
are 6 inches in diameter and 170 feet deep. The first water-bearing stratum is said to 
have been struck in the wells at a depth of 85 or 95 feet, but the main water supply 
was obtained from a stratum at a depth of from 130 to 170 feet, from which the water 
rose to within 40 feet of the surface. During the time the Parrott Lumber Co. was 
operating its plant at Richwood these wells are reported to have furnished about 
75,000 gallons of water daily. Long droughts are said not to have materially lowered 
the static head of the water in either of these wells. Hard rock is reported from 60 
feet to the bottom of these wells. 

A third well at Richwood [No. 6, Table 31], owned by Mr. H. R. Teal, has a depth 
of 100 feet. It is 4 inches in diameter, and the water rises to within about 35 feet of 
the surface. Mr. Teal gives the following record of his well: 

[Log of well of H. R. Teal, at Richwood.] 

Feet. 

Clay with some sand to 90 

Limestone to 96 

Sand, water-bearing to 100 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 94, 95, 1908. 



232 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Booting. — Wells 8 to 60 feet deep are the principal source of 
water for domestic use at Dooling. In one artesian well, 600 feet 
deep (No. 2, Table 31), the water rises to within a few feet of the 
surface and is said to be ferruginous. The mouth of the well is 
about 4 feet lower than the surface at the railroad station. 



Table 31. — Wells in Dooly County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


1 




Town 




W. E. Dawson.... 
A . English 


1902 
1908 
1891 


Feet. 
290? 


9 








266 


3 








S.W.McCallieo... 
do 




4 








390 


■S 








do 




358 


fi 


....do 


H. R. Teal 




....do 




358 


7 






E. J. Wilson... 


..do... 


1896 
1895 

1910 


412 


8 




do 


Mr. Van Fleet. . . 
Cole & Hagsett. . 


D. L. Henderson, 

mayor. 


350 


q 


Vienna (5 miles 
northwest of). 


J. T. McNeese 


350 











No. 


Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth to 
principal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Level of 
water 
below 

surface. 


Yield per 
minute 

by 
pump- 
ing. 


How obtained. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
1.100 
600 
160 
318 
170 
100 
189 
213 
137J 


Inches. 
5 


Feet. 
320 

600 


Feet. 
16 


Galls. 
2, 300 9 




Analysis 1, Table 32. 


?, 


Gasoline engine 


Ferruginous. 


S 


8 


20 
8 
40 
35 
80 
12 
16 






4 










5 


6 
4 

•3i 
6 
3 


130-170 


100 






fi 






7 


189 
200 
136 


50 

800 

13| 




Analysis 2, Table 32. 


8 


Air-lift] 

Force p 


lump. 


Hard. 


9 




Analysis 3, Table 32. 






No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Eocene? . 
Ripley for 






Cost of well, S1,000; cost of machinery, 


9 


manufa 
Domestic 


cturing. 






S500. See log, p. 231. 
Cost of well, S800; cost of machinery, 


3 








$250. 


4 










5 




Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 
....do 




2 Avells. Another water-bearing bed 


fi 






at a depth of 85 (or 95) feet. 
See log, p. 231. 
Do. 


7 


Domestic 




Jackson formation? 
Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 




8 






Cost of well, $400; cost of machinery, 


Q 


manufacturing. 


Hard rock 




81,500. 
3-inch casing to 85 feet. 








tion. 











a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 94-97, 1908. 



DOUGHERTY COUNTY. 

Table 32. — Analyses of underground waters from Dooly County. 
[Parts per million.] 



233 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 


May 30,1911 
June 5, 1911 

July 10,1911 


Town well 

do 


Byromville 

Unadilla 


Jackson forma- 
tion? 

Vicksburg for- 
mation. 


Feet. 

320 

189 

/ 136- 
\ 137.5 


E. Everhart. 
Do. 


3 


Well of J. T. 

McNeese. 


Vienna (5 miles 
northwest of). 


| Do. 













■ 


to 


<C 


<o 


CD 




xi 
















03 




















O 

5 

03 
o 


b 


o 

a 

.2 


'3 

a 

1 


.3 p 


-a 

03 

©o 

■ss. 

n 
o 

42 


03 

So 

go 

§w 

03 


a 

os,-; 

®02 

ft 


O 
03^ 

2 


3 

.9 

o 


> 
o . 

'■3 s 

"ol 




Remarks. 


o 


02 


o 
u 

1—1 


03 

o 


03 


o 

CO 


03 
O 


£ 


3 

CO 


g 


3 
o 


O 






1 


22 


0.2 


24 


12 


8.0 


0.0 


88 


20 


0.1 


15 


137 


No. 1, 


Table 31. 


2 


16 


1.0 


45 


1.0 


5.0 


.0 


158 


7.0 


.2 


3.5 


134 


No. 7 


Table 31. 


3 


20 


Tr. 


48 


8.0 


6.0 


.0 


170 


3.0 


.1 


5.0 


181 


No. 9, 


Table 31. 



DOUGHERTY COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 

Dougherty County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia. Albany, the county seat, is 100 miles by rail southwest 
of Macon and 88 miles southeast of Columbus. The area of the 
county is 342 square miles and the population (census of 1910) is 
16,035. Dougherty County is a rich agricultural district; cotton, 
corn, melons, and fruit are the principal products. The county is 
also the center of the pecan-growing industry of the State. At Albany 
there are large fertilizer factories, a cotton-cloth mill, cottonseed-oil 
mills, an ice factory, and a brick plant. The production of lumber 
and naval stores is important. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Topographically the county may be divided into two parts. 
West of Flint River, which flows southward through the eastern part 
of the county, the general surface is nearly level and is typical of the 
physiographic division known as the Dougherty plain. This area is 
closely underlain by the limestones of the Vicksburg formation, and 
as a result of underground solution and the collapse of solution cav- 
erns, the otherwise nearly level surface is dotted with lime-sink 
depressions (some of which support a growth of cypress), which 
appear as ponds, as chains of sinks, and as long sinuous depressions. 
Creeks and small branch streams are few in number and the drainage 
is partly effected by underground streams through the lime sinks. 
Coolewahee, Kiokee, and Chickasawhatchee creeks, in the western 



234 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

part of the county, have very shallow valleys and flow sluggishly 
through wide swamps. The Dougherty plain west of Flint River is 
probably 225 to 260 feet above sea level, and the swamps and streams 
of the same area are thought to be 175 to 200 feet above the same 
datum plane. 

East of Flint River, except a narrow area along the river, the sur- 
face is rolling and is typical of the physiographic division described 
in this report as the Altamaha upland and locally known as the long- 
leaf pine or wire-grass region. The general upland here is probably 
300 feet above sea level. The surface materials consist chiefly of 
sands and clays residual from the Vicksburg, Chattahoochee, and 
Alum Bluff formations. 

Flint River is bordered by two narrow, nearly level, Pleistocene 
terrace plains. The elevation of the bed of the river at the crossing 
of the Central of Georgia Railway at Albany is 127 feet. The lower 
plain lies about 20 feet above the stream bed, and the higher plain, 
on which the greater part of the city is located, lies about 60 feet 
above the same datum plane. The elevation at the Union Station, 
which is on the higher plain, is 184 feet above sea level. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Vicksburg formation appears at the surface over all but a rela- 
tively small area in the eastern part of the county and is an impor- 
tant aquifer. The formation, which consists of 150 to 200 feet or 
more of white limestones interbedded with sands and clays, weathers 
to red argillaceous sands and clays containing fragments of flint. 
In the eastern part of the county the Vicksburg formation is overlain 
by the Chattahoochee formation, which consists of sandy limestone 
and calcareous sands and clays, probably less than 100 feet thick, 
and which weathers to sands and clays that outcrop in a belt a few 
miles wide extending east of north through the county. The Chatta- 
hoochee formation is overlain by less than 100 feet of greenish-drab 
sands and clays belonging to the Alum Bluff formation, which out- 
crops in a relatively small area in the southeast corner of the county. 
The Vicksburg formation is underlain by 200 or 300 feet of Eocene 
water-bearing sands, clays, and marls, in interbedded, thin, indu- 
rated layers which do not appear at the surface within the county. 
The Eocene deposits are underlain by the Ripley formation of the 
Upper Cretaceous, which consists of calcareous and glauconitic 
sands, clays, and marls, probably aggregating a thickness of 800 
feet or more and which contain water-bearing beds. At Albany, the 
Ripley formation is first encountered in wells at a depth of 500 feet, 
the deepest well (1,320 feet) probably ending near the base of the 
terrane. The Ripley formation is underlain by undifferentiated 
deposits of Cretaceous age which, at an unknown depth, probably 



DOUGHEETY COUNTY. 235 

between 2,000 and 3,000 feet, rest upon a basement of ancient crys- 
talline rocks. 

WATEE EESOUECES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

In the rural districts water for domestic use is obtained from dug 
wells 20 to 60 feet deep and from drilled wells 75 to 150 feet deep. 
The source of the water in both types of well is limestone of the Vicks- 
burg formation, which is cavernous and contains large quantities of 
water. Some of the dug wells fail during times of drought. Wells 
less than 100 feet deep are apt to be contaminated from surface 
sources. 

Deep wells have been drilled at Albany, Kioka Place (10 miles 
southwest of Albany), Ducker station, Putney, Pretoria, and near 
Walker station. 

Small seepage springs are scattered throughout the county and a 
few limestone springs emit bold streams, but as a whole the springs 
are not important. Blue Spring, the largest in the county, is de- 
scribed on page 240. The waters of ponds and streams are used 
locally for stock and in boilers. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 
of 75 to 1,500 feet or more. The prospects are good for obtaining 
flows from Eocene strata on the terrace plains bordering Flint River 
and in the valleys of the small streams in the western part of the 
county. The deeply buried Cretaceous deposits will probably yield 
flows throughout the greater part of the county west of Flint River. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Albany (population 8,190, census of 1910). — Three artesian wells 
furnish the public water supply at Albany, and 12 or 15 others are 
owned by individuals or companies in and near the city. Four 
principal artesian water-bearing beds are tapped : The first is at depths 
of 300 feet or less in cavities or beds of sand in the Vicksburg forma- 
tion; the second is between the depths 660 and 710 feet, probably in 
the Ripley formation; the third is between the depths 840 and 900 
feet in the Ripley formation; the fourth is between the depths 1,310 
and 1,320 feet in the Upper Cretaceous and probably in the Ripley 
formation. The municipal wells are at the pumping station, 218-222 
North Street, where the elevation above Flint River is estimated to 
be 60 feet. Well No. 1 is 750 feet deep, well No. 2 is 1,320 feet 
deep, and well No. 3 is 940 feet deep. Originally all three wells 
flowed but now only No. 2 does so. Nos. 1 and 3 are pumped by air 
lift, each yielding 450 gallons per minute. In well No. 1 the water 
is lowered 90 feet by continuous pumping, and as the well is old it is 
thought that some water is lost through leaks in the casing. 



236 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The following log of city well No. 2 was furnished by C. W. Tift. 1 
The attempted correlations are based on the fossils obtained from the 
well and determined, except as otherwise indicated, by T. W. Vaughan. 

Log of city artesian well No. 2, Albany (No. 2, Table 33). 

Tertiary: Feet. 

Red clay 0- 20 

Light-colored clay 20- 23 

Coarse sand ( Vicksburg) 23- 25 

Light-colored clay and coarse quartz sand 25- 35 

Limestone, Orbitoides sp. at 150 feet, and from 190 to 200 feet 35- 200 

Gray limestone, Orbitoides sp., echinoid, Bryozoa, Terebratulina 
lachryma Morton (identified by W. H. Dall), some shale from 230 

to 240feet 200- 280 

Gray sand with comminuted shells (Ostrea) 280- 285 

Some shale, coarse sand, shells, and sharks' teeth at 311 

Hard layer, Ostrea divaricata Lea 318- 320 

Ostrea divaricata Lea at 330 

Ostrea alabamiensis Lea at 340 

Shale or marl, water vein at 350 

Ostrea divaricata Lea and Ostrea alabamiensis Lea at 363 

Bed of lignite at 367 

Bed of lignite at 400 

Sand 400- 470 

Stiff blue clay, echinoid spines, Lamna sp. (teeth) 470- 475 

Stiff blue clay 475- 480 

Hard gray sandstone 485- 488 

Upper Cretaceous, Bipley formation: 

Ostrea sp. and Exogyra costata Say (?) 500- 510 

Pyrite and small oysters at 520 

Greensands and greenish micaceous shales 530- 540 

Gray sands with black particles at 600 

Water-bearing horizon, limestone, with pieces of hard gray sandstone 

between 785 and 790 feet 690- 790 

Hard rock 790- 800 

Clay shales, white limestone between 835 and 840 feet 800- 850 

Limestone, shales, etc; at 880 feet limestone or calcareous sand, also 

light-gray micaceous sand 850- 890 

Grayish sand, calcareous fragments, hard black pieces of pebbles, 
Ostrea sp., Anomia argentaria Morton. [Gryphsea vesicularis La- 
marck (young)] at 890 feet; water-bearing, micaceous sandstone 

between 920 and 930 feet 890- 940 

Blue micaceous clay at 950 feet, thick-shelled oyster, Gryphaea sp., 
the same also at 1,080 feet; at 1,100 feet gray sand with Ostrea sub- 

spatulata Forbes, Exogyra costata Say 940-1, 100 

Stiff blue clay, micaceous sandstone, Ostrea cretacea Morton (?) 1, 100-1, 200 

Very stiff blue clay at 1,255 feet, streaks of sand and shells, a small 

flow of water; from 1,240 to 1,260, soft shiny blue clay 1, 200-1, 260 

Marl, gray sand, sandstone lumps, shells 1, 260-1, 270 

Gray and black sand, sandstone lumps 1, 270-1, 310 

Black, irregular, water- worn pebbles, with hard crystalline fracture; 
coarse and fine quartz sand, shells, decayed wood, fourth water- 
bearing stratum; 50 gallons per minute 1, 310-1, 315 

Well ends in quartz sand at 1, 320 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 98, 99, 1908. 



DOUGHERTY COUNTY. 



237 



A sample of material taken from 1,300 to 1,315 feet in the well 
just described consists of light-gray, medium-grained very micaceous 
(muscovite) sand, with numerous fragments of dark irregular glau- 
conitic sandstone, some partly water worn; several angular fragments 
of gray calcareous sandstone; numerous fragments of lignite and 
shells of invertebrates. The following species were identified by Mr. 
Stephenson: 



Vermes : 

Hamulus major Gabb. 
Molluscoidea: 

Fragment of poorly preserved Bryo- 



Mollusca: 

Ostrea larva Lamarck. 
Ostrea sp. (irregular form). 
Gryphsea vomer (Morton). 
Exogyra ponderosa Roemer. 
Pecten quinquecostatus (Sowerby). 
Plicatula sp. 

Fragments of undetermined gastro- 
pods and pelecypods. 

In terms of the Chattahoochee River section the fossils listed 
indicate that the containing strata correspond in position to beds low 
in the Ripley formation. 

A public flowing well known as the Coffey well, not connected with 
the pumping station, is at 201 Commerce Street. It was originally 
715 feet deep but was later drilled to a depth of 840 feet. The water 
is used for drinking and domestic purposes. It rises 10 feet above the 
surface and flows 40 gallons a minute. It is soft, clear, and palatable 
but emits an odor of hydrogen sulphide. (See analysis 3, Table 34.) 
According to Mr. Tift the water comes from a stratum tapped at the 
bottom of the well and is therefore from the Ripley formation. 

Spencer 1 gives the following data concerning a well at Albany 
(name of owner not stated) : 

Several wells have been sunk at Albany and flowing water has been obtained. The 
record of one of these was furnished by Mr. Charles Tift, and also samples of borings 
from several depths. This well has an elevation of about 20 feet above the railway 
station: 

[Log of well at Albany (No. 7, Table 33).] 

Feet. 

Surface soil and red clay to 23 

Light clay, white sand, colored clays, and white lime rock to 55 

Flinty rock to 60 

Limestone with clay seams to 315 

Thick rock to 319 

Quicksand with a rocky stratum at 440 feet, and lignite just above 

rock, to 480 

Black sand — thin layer. 

Blue marl strata to 678 

Porous water-bearing beds to 732 



: Spencer, J. W., Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, pp. 75-77, 1891. 



238 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Samples were taken and examined as follows: Marl at 26 feet; limestone at 40 feet; 
oolitic or coral sand from 110 to 115 feet; a lime rock, 5 feet thick, at 160; gray rotten 
limestone from 180 to 200; shell rock at 310; shell marl at 315 to 320; lignite at 340; 
coarse quartz sand with chips of gray limestone, 350; shell limestone, 360; clean 
sharp white sand in different beds between 360 and 425; lignite at 440; green, slightly 
calcareous fine sand, with a little clay between, 485 and 678; a water-bearing coarse 
quartz sand, with calcareous particles, at 660. 

Through T. W. Vaughan Mr. C. W. Tift has also furnished what 
seems to be another log of the same well (No. 7, Table 33) : 

Log of well owned by Nelson Tift, Albany (No. 7, Table 33). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Surface soil 

Red clay 

Coarse white sand 

Black and brown clays 

White limestone 

Flinty rock 

Limestone with interbedded seams of clay 

Hard rock 

Quartz sand with several harder layers in upper 20 feet; shells at 225 feet; thin, hard 

layer at 440 feet 

Blue marl; layer of black sand 6 feet below top 

Porous layer of shells and gravel 



Feet. 
2 

23 
5 

10 
15 
5 
256 
4 

160 
198 

54 



Feet. 
2 

25 
30 
40 
55 
60 
316 
320 



678 
732 



Mr. Tift has furnished the following information concerning the 
artesian well at the ice factory of the Atlantic Ice & Coal Co. : The well 
was bored in 1885 and is 710 feet deep; it was recased to 660 feet in 
1901. At a depth of 320 feet water was encountered, which rose to 
within 42 feet of the surface and this static head was maintained until 
the water-bearing stratum at 660 feet was reached, when the static 
head rose to 26 feet above the surface. The amount of the flow has 
since greatly decreased and the static head is thought to have been 
affected by a well 708 feet deep, completed in 1910, at the Albany 
Cotton Mills, a mile north of the ice factory. The principal water- 
bearing stratum in the Albany Cotton Mills well is between the 
depths of 680 and 708 feet. 

Log of well owned by the Atlantic Ice & Coal Co. (No. 6, Table 33). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Red clay 

Limestone 

Sand 

Limestone with layers of sand. 

Limestone with clay seams 

Shell marl, oyster shells 

Pure quartz sand 

Principally blue marl (calcareous clay) flow begins 
Porous cellular water-bearing rock, limestone 



Feet. 

30 

80 
7 

33 
150 

20 
112 
228 

50 



Feet. 
30 
110 
117 
150 
300 
320 
432 
660 
710 



DOUGHERTY COUNTY. 



239 



KioJca Place. — A 725-foot flowing well (No. 8, Table 33) known as 
the Williams irrigation well, located at Kioka Place (10 miles south- 
west of Albany), is owned by Mr. John P. Fort, of Albany. The well 
was completed in 1911 and is used for the irrigation of 14 acres of land 
planted to onions, corn, and cotton. It yields 40,000 gallons of water 
a day, which is stored for distribution in an earthen reservoir holding 
400,000 gallons. Mr. Fort states that the returns on the 14 acres have 
been exceptionally large, the yield of corn being estimated at 200 
bushels per acre, and he thus demonstrates the possibilities of irri- 
gation in the areas of flowing wells in Georgia. Mr. Fort has 
furnished the following log, which is a carefully prepared record of the 
materials penetrated as drilling progressed: 

Log of Williams irrigation well at Kioka Place, 10 miles southwest of Albany (No. 8, 

Table 33). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Red clay 

Red sand 

White chalky material 

Red sand 

Red sand, water bearing 

Cream-colored limestone 

Blue "soapstone" (shaly clay ?) 

Blue sandstone 

Flint 

Blue sand 

Flint 

Sand 

Rock 

Rock and sand 

Blue marl 

Sand and soft sandstone 

Very hard rock 

Hard to soft rock , 

Blue marl 

Blue "soapstone" (shaly clay?) 

Blue marl 

Blue "soapstone " (shaly clay?) 

Blue marl 

Hard sandstone 

Fine green sand 

Sand, marl, and rock 

Sand and rock, water bearing; flows 2 gallons a minute 

Sandstone, marl, and rock, water bearing 

White milky rock; at this depth the water flows 6 gallons a minute 

Hard white milky rock, water bearing; flows 15 gallons a minute 

White grayish rock, water bearing; flows 20 gallons a minute 

Grayish sandstone with biack grains and shells, poorly water bearing; water flows 25 

gallons a minute 

Grayish rock and indurated blue marl, water bearing; water flows 50 gallons a minute. . 
Grayish, water-bearing rock and indurated blue marl; water flows 60 gallons a minute.. 



Feet. 

4 

26 
10 
30 

5 
77 
20 
23 

6 

27 
24 
26 

1 
14 

8 
43 
10 

6 
30 

1 
30 

1 
37 
16 
20 

2 

3 

47 
12 
20 
21 

80 
15 

30 



Feet. 
4 
30 
40 
70 
75 
152 
172 
195 
201 
228 
252 
278 
279 
293 
301 
344 
354 
360 
390 
391 
421 
422 
459 
475 
495 
497 
500 
547 
559 
579 
600 

680 
695 
725 



A 6-inch casing extends to 80 feet; 4^-inch casing to 277 feet; 3^- 
inch casing to 120 feet and from 371 to 444 feet; 2^-inch casing 
from 120 to 500 feet. 

The well starts in the Vicksburg formation and probably pene- 
trates that terrane to at least 152 feet, beyond which to 725 feet 
it probably penetrates Eocene strata doubtless belonging to several 
formations. However, it may enter the upper part of the Ripley 
formation of the Upper Cretaceous. 



240 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Ducker station. — The first flowing well in Georgia was drilled near 
Ducker station, 16 miles west of Albany, by J. P. Fort, in 1881. It 
is 547 feet deep and flows 10 feet above the surface. Spencer 1 
gives the following log: 

Log of well of John P. Fort at Ducker station (No. 9, Table 33). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



A few feet of surface clay, followed by limestone bowlders 

Limestone with silicifled layers containing shells and traversed by subterranean streams. 

Blue marl (clay?) 

Shell rock, sand rock, and marl (clay); water rose to within 14 feet of surface 

Sand, tinted blue; layer of very fine "white sand at 370 feet, below which some coarse sand 

with shell fragments and sharks' teeth 

Blue clay and sand rock in alternate layers 

Blue clay with soft sand rock to flowing water 

Sand and clay, forming water-bearing stratum 

Hard rock (thickness not reported) 



Feet. 
65 
85 
15 
95 

120 
30 

80 

40 
17 



Feet. 

65 

150 

165 

260 

380 
410 
490 
530 
547 



At Ducker station artesian water has recently been used for 
irrigation. 

Putney. — From Putney (Hardaway station), on the Atlantic 
Coast Line Railroad just east of Flint River, 8 miles south of Albany, 
one well owned by F. F. Putney has been reported. The depth of 
the well is about 315 feet, and the water in it rises to within 50 feet 
of the surface. It is probable that by deeper drilling flowing wells 
can be obtained at this place, for the elevation is only 183 feet above 
sea level. 

Pretoria (population 369, census of 1910). — At Pretoria two 
artesian wells supply the village with water for all purposes. One 
well is 650 feet deep and flows, the static head being 12 feet above 
the surface. The other well is 350 feet deep and does not flow. 
The water is distributed from a tank. 

Blue Spring. — Blue Spring, 4 miles south of Albany, on the east 
side of Flint River, and about 300 yards back from the river bank, 
is believed to be the largest spring in the State. (See PI. XX, A.) 
Discharge measurements made at different times 2 show yields 
ranging from 26.4 to 135 second-feet, or approximately 18,000,000 
to 87,000,000 gallons every 24 hours. The water, which rises under 
considerable pressure from several small openings in limestone of 
the Vicksburg formation and has a faint bluish tinge, is very clear 
and is said to remain clear, although the supply varies with the 
rainfall. The main spring is 20 or 30 feet deep, and the temperature 
of the water is 69° F. An analysis of the water is given in Table 34 
(analysis 5). The water is used locally for drinking. 

1 Spencer, J. W., Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 77, 1891. 

2 Hall, B. M. and M. R., Water resources of Georgia: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 197, p. 236, 
1907. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 3+1 PLATE XX 




A. STREAM FLOWING FROM BLUE SPRING, 4 MILES SOUTH OF ALBANY, DOUGHERTY COUNTY. 
Yields more than 18,000,000 gallons a day. Photograph by S. W. McCallie. 




B. PUBLIC FOUNTAIN AT AMERICUS, SUMTER COUNTY. 
Photograph by S. W. McCallie. 



DOUGHERTY COUNTY. 
Table 33. — Wells in Dougherty County. 



241 



Location. 



Owner. 



Driller. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 



Albany (well No. 1 at 
pumping station). 

rAlbany(wellNo.2at 

i pumping statin). 

Albany (well No. 3 at 
pumping station). 

Albany, 201 Com- 
merce Street, 1J 
miles north of city 
water-supply plant. 

Albany 

....do 



City 

}....do.... 
..do.... 



C. W. Tift. 



E. F. Joyce 

C. E. Edwards. 



.do. 



. do. 



C.E.Ed wards and 

C. W. Tift. 
C.M.Clark 



.do. 



Kioka Place, 10 miles 
southwest of Al- 
bany. 

Ducker station 

Putney (Hardaway 
station). 

Pretoria 

....do 

....do 



Albany Cotton Mills. 
/Atlantic Ice & Coal 
\ Co. 

Nelson Tift 

John P. Fort 



M. B. Matthews 



C. W. Tift. 
Owner 



M. A. Jarrard. 
C. W. Tift.... 
....do 



Owner. 



....do 

F. F. Putney. 



S.W.McCalliea... 
do 



1904- 

1906 

1907 

1903 



1910 
1885, 
1901 
1885 
1911 



1881 



Feet. 
184 

184 
184 

210 



Walker station (1 
mile north of). 



Red Cypress Lum- 
ber Co. 
H. J. Lamar 



W. A. Bierman... 
do 

S. W. McCalliea.. 



1902 



.do. 





Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 

9 


Feet. 

750 

1,320 

940 
840 
708 
710 
732 
725 
547 
315 
350 
650 
585 
146 


Inches. 
10 

12 

10 
6 
3-£ 

4 
2£ 
2 
6 


Feet. 
680 

660-71o| 

680 


Feet. 

300 

840-900 

1,320 


Feet. 
+10 

| +20 

+ 8 
+ 10 

+26 


Galls. 

125 

80 
40 
100 


Galls. 
450 

450 


Air-lift pump 


/Analyses 1, 2, Table 
\ 34. 

Analysis 3, Table 34. 


3 

4 


Air-lift pump 

Flows 


5 


680-708 
660 
678 

500-725 


180 
320 


do 


6 




do 


Analysis 4, Table 34. 


7 




105 


do 


8 






28 


do 


Soft. 


q 




+ 10 
-50 
-16 

+12 




do 




10 














11 












Slightly alkaline. 
Do. 


i? 








35 




Flows 


i? 


4 


580-585? 


375 


do 




14 


-35 








Sulphurous. 















a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 101-103, 1908. 
38418°— wsp 341—15 16 



242 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 33. — Wells in Dougherty County — Continued. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 
2 
3 


Municipal supply. 

do 

do 


Ripley formation.. 

do 

do 


Porous rock 

Porous sandstone. 
Porous rock 


10-inch casing to 680 feet. 

Cased to 1,300 feet. See log, p. 236. 

8-inch casing to 710 feet. Cost of well, 

$4,000. 
"Coffey" well. 
Si-inch casing to 480 feet. 
Cased to 660 feet. See log, p. 238. 
See logs, pp. 237,238. 
Cost of well ; $2,500. Caving sand has 

reduced yield from 60 to 30 gallons a 

minute. See log, p. 239. 
See log, p. 240. 


4 




do 


5 


do 


do 


White, porous rock 


fi 




do 


7 




do 


Gravel and shells. . 
Sand, limestone, 
and marl. 


8 






q 


do 


Midway forma- 
tion? 

Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 


in 






ii 








i? 


do 


do 






13 










14 




Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 















Table 34. — Analyses of underground waters from Dougherty County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Dale of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 




City well No. 2. . 
do 




Ripley forma- 
tion. 
do 


Feet.. 
660-710 

1,320 
840 

660-710 
20-30 


H. C. Whiter 


<?, 




do 


Edgar Everhart.a 
Do. 


3 


June 10,1911 

Apr. 1, 1911 
do 


"Coffey" well; 

now owned by 

the city. 
Well of Atlantic 

Ice &Coal Co. 
Blue Spring 


Albany, 201 Com- 
merce Street. 


do 


4 


do 


Do. 


5 


Albany, 4 miles 
south. 


Vicksburg for- 
mation. 


Do. 

















<D 


CD 








o 


















































a 










a 




















13 


-3 




o 




03 


> 






O 

53 


£ 


O 

a 

3 


a 

<D 


'o? 

I 

3 


M 

a 

3 


SB 

c 

o 


-26 
So 


as 'i 

h o 

<BCO 


13 • 

03^5 




CS 03 

j2Q 


'■51 


Remarks. 
















.0 




p, 




o 










53 


o 


03 
O 


03 


O 

CO 


o 


03 
O 


3 


3 
CO 


525 


43 

o 


o 

> 


o 

EH 




1 


9.3 


6 2.6 


46 


1.9 


2 


4 




140 


7.1 


0.2 


3.6 


7.8 


160 


From water-bearing stratum 




























at 660-710 feet, No. 2, Table 
33. 
From water-bearing stratum 


2 


14 


6 1.8 


4.3 


1.8 


463 29 


576 




1.4 




69 




1,159 




























at 1,320 feet, No. 2, Table 




























33. A traceof P0 4 . 


3 


22 


4.0 


5.0 


3.0 


60 


7.0 


160 


25 


.4 


4.0 




174 


No. 4, Table 33. 


4 


16 


1.0 


13 


6.8 


41 


.0 


178 


14 


1.2 


3.5 




19S 


No. 6, Table 33. 


5 


12 


.4 


49 


2.4 


3.8 

1 


.0 


178 


2.0 


1.5 


3.5 




139 





a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 99-100, 1908. 6 Fe 2 3 +Al 2 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 243 
EARLY COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Early County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia, adjacent to Alabama. Its area is 524 square miles and its 
population 18,122 (census of 1910). Cotton, corn, lumber, and naval 
stores are the chief products. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county presents two types of topography. The eastern three- 
fourths falls within the physiographic division known as the Dough- 
erty plain; its surface is nearly level to gently undulating, streams are 
few in number and flow through wide swampy bottoms, and it has 
many cypress ponds. The Dougherty plain, which is approximately 
coextensive with the surface occurrence of the Vicksburg formation, 
is well developed in the adjoining counties of Calhoun, Baker, Miller, 
and Decatur. 

In the western part of the county, and particularly in the north- 
west, the surface is hilly. Chattahoochee River, which forms the 
western boundary, has cut its valley 150 to 200 feet lower than the 
general upland. Small tributary streams, which enter from the east, 
have cut deep narrow valleys, thus producing a broken topography 
which extends 5 to 6 miles back from the river. 

Chattahoochee River is bordered by two Pleistocene terraces; the 
lower (Satjlla plain) is nearly level, is about one-half mile wide, and 
lies about 40 feet above the river; the upper (Okefenokee plain) lies 
about 100 feet above the river and is not so well preserved as the 
lower. Unlike the other large rivers of the Coastal Plain of Georgia 
the Chattahoochee is bordered by few swamps. 

At the station of the United States Weather Bureau at Blakely the 
elevation is 300 feet above sea level. Exact determinations of level 
have not been made elsewhere in the county, but it is probable that 
the greater part of the area is less than 300 feet above sea level. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Vicksburg formation outcrops in an area approximately coex- 
tensive with that of the Dougherty plain. It consists of interbedded 
limestones and sands which weather to red or mottled argillaceous 
sands and clays containing masses of flint. The unweathered lime- 
stones generally lie 50 feet or less below the surface and outcrop at a 
few places. The thickness of the formation is believed to be 75 to 
150 feet in the north, but it increases to the east and south and 
probably reaches a maximum of 250 or 300 feet. The formation is 
an important aquifer. 



244 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The Jackson formation, which consists principally of soft limestones 
of relatively small thickness, underlies the Vicksburg formation and 
in the southwest outcrops in a small area bordering Chattahoochee 
River. The Jackson formation, and the Vicksburg where the Jackson 
is absent, is underlain by the Claiborne group of the Eocene. The 
Claiborne group consists of 200 to 250 feet of sandy marls with subor- 
dinate thin interbedded layers of hard sandy limestone and glau- 
conitic calcareous sandstone overlain by red and varicolored sands 
with subordinate thin interbedded layers of clay. These beds imme- 
diately underlie the surface in the western part of the county and are 
well exposed in the bluffs of Chattahoochee River. They probably 
include representatives of the McBean formation and the Barnwell 
sand, into which the group has been subdivided elsewhere in the State. 
The group contains water-bearing beds. 

The Claiborne group is underlain by an undetermined thickness of 
undifferentiated Eocene deposits which do not reach the surface 
within the county. The Eocene is underlain by 800 or 900 feet of 
more or less calcareous and glauconitic sands, clays, and marls that 
contain water-bearing beds and are referable to the Ripley formation 
of the Upper Cretaceous. In the deep well at Blakely fossils of 
Ripley age were first encountered at a depth of 500 feet. The Ripley 
formation is underlain by undifferentiated Cretaceous deposits of 
unknown thickness, and at some undetermined depth, probably 
between 2,000 and 3,000 feet, the Cretaceous deposits rest upon a 
basement of ancient crystalline rocks. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Water for domestic use is supplied chiefly by dug and bored wells 
20 to 75 feet deep. In the western part of the county bored wells 
should be preferred to dug wells, for if properly cased they are less 
likely to be contaminated by surface water. 

Small springs are scattered throughout the county and are a source 
of domestic supply. Cedar Spring, one-half mile east of Cedar Springs 
post office, is reported to yield about 80 gallons a minute of soft water, 
which is used for general domestic purposes and in the condensers at 
a turpentine distillery. 

Artesian water can probably be obtained anywhere in the county. 
Water-bearing beds occur in the Vicksburg formation and also in the 
underlying Eocene and Cretaceous sands and marls. Waters from the 
Cretaceous deposits are apt to be softer than those from the Vicks- 
burg formation. 

In wells on the lowest terrace bordering Chattahoochee River 
waters from Eocene or Cretaceous strata will probably flow. This is 



EAELY COUNTY. 245 

probably true also of wells 600 feet or more in depth in the valleys of 
some of the larger creeks, although this remains to be tested. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Blakely (population 1,838, census of 1910). — Blakely owns a muni- 
cipal water-supply system and obtains water from a well 812 feet deep 
(No. 3, Table 35). T. W. Vaughan obtained notes and well borings 
from the driller, S. S. Chandler, from which the following description 
and partial log were prepared: 

The well was completed in 1902 at a cost of $3,000; the diameter 
at the top is 10 inches and at the bottom 6 inches. Water-bearing 
beds were encountered at depths of 250, 570, and 812 feet. The 
municipal supply is taken from the 812-foot level, the water from 
which rises to within 19 feet of the surface and is not lowered per- 
ceptibly when pumped 290 gallons a minute. 

Partial log of town well at Blakely (No. 3, Table 35). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Red sandy clay 

Coarse grayish sand 

Coarse light-yellowish sand .- 

Yellowish ctierty limestone ( Vicksburg) 

Yellowish or grayish sandstone 

Light-colored, almost white, calcareous sandstone 

Gray sands, darker at bottom 

Greenish sands, with Ostrea divaricata Lea 

Fine gray sand, hard ledge at bottom, water bearing at a depth of 250 feet 

Fine sand; some clay 

Bluish clay 

Quartz sand, with glauconite 

Hard sandstone, with glauconite. Two oysters, apparently Gryphaca sp. and Exogyra 

costata Say (Ripley formation) 

Grayish or bluish sands, water bearing at a depth of 570 feet 



Feet. 
10 
10 
10 
10 
10 
20 
70 
20 

125 
5 

200 
10 

10 
70 



Feet. 
10 
20 
30 
40 
50 
70 
140 
160 
285 
290 
490 
500 

510 
580 



From 580 feet to the bottom of the well the beds encountered are 
said to have been limestones interstratified with sands and clays, the 
water-bearing bed at 812 feet being a coarse sand. Fossils of Ripley 
(Cretaceous) age were identified from the sandstone at 500 to 510 feet. 
An analysis is given in Table 36 (analysis 1). 

An artesian well (No. 4, Table 35) owned by the Callahan-Powell 
Co., 6J miles east of Blakely, is 485 feet deep and contains water that 
rises to within 50 feet of the surface. The elevation of the well above 
sea level is reported to be 250 feet. The water-bearing bed is proba- 
bly in the Midway formation of the Eocene. An analysis of the water 
is given in Table 36 (analysis 2). 

Damascus. — Damascus obtains water for domestic use chiefly from 
wells 20 to 60 feet deep. The deeper wells yield hard water and prob- 
ably reach the unweathered limestone of the Vicksburg formation. 
Notes on a deep well (No. 6, Table 35) at this place are given by 
McCallie. 1 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 107, 1908. 



246 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Mr. C. C. Green's well at Damascus is 2 inches in diameter and 547 feet deep. Con- 
siderable hard rock is reported in this well, but the exact thickness and character of 
the various formations were not ascertained. Two water-bearing strata were struck 
in the well, one at 200 and the other at 547 feet. Water from the former rises to within 
20 feet of the surface, and from the latter to within 7 feet of the surface. Both strata 
are said to furnish a good supply of water. 

Cowarts station. 1 — The following log of a well (No. 5, Table 35) 120 
feet deep at Cowarts station has been furnished by W. R. Carter, the 
owner. 

Log of W. R. Carter's well, Cowarts station (No. 5, Table 35). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Reddish clay 

Sand 

Limestone; water from 7-foot cavity struck at depth of 113 feet, rose immediately to 
within 27 feet of the surface 



Feet. 

30 

2 



Feet. 



120 



Oilier localities. — A well (No. 1, Table 35) on the plantation of H. G. 
Smith, 6 miles west of Arlington, is 160 feet deep. The principal 
water-bearing bed is limestone at 160 feet. The water rises to within 
12 feet of the surface and is used for general domestic purposes. 

A well (No. 2, Table 35) on the plantation of James Johnson, 3 
miles south of Arlington, is 360 feet deep and 1\ inches in diameter. 
According to the driller it penetrated little hard rock. The well 
yields an abundance of water sufficient for the needs of a large planta- 
tion. 

At Saffold, in the southwestern part of the county, nonflowing 
wells from 350 to 490 feet deep are reported. 

Table 35. — Wells in Early County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


1 


Arlington, 6 miles 

west of. 
Arlington, 3 miles 

south of. 
Blakelv 


H. G. Smith 

James Johnson 

Town 


J. G. Chason 

M. A. Jarrard 

S. S. Chandler... 


J. G. Chason 


1910 


Feet. 
(a) 


3 


S. S. Chandlers ... 
W. A. Kitchen 

S. W. McCallieb .. 

do 


1902 
1903 

1897 


300 


4 


Blakely,6^ miles east 

of. 
Cowarts station 

(Kara). 




250 


5 


W. R. Carter 






fi 


C C. Green 






7 


Hilton 












8 








do 






Q 


Saffold 






do 




105 

















a Elevation 20 or 30 feet above the bed of Spring Creek. 
b Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 105-107, 1908. 



» McCallie, S. W., loc. cit. 



EAKLY COUNTY. 

Table 35. — Wells in Early County — Continued. 



247 





Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
160 
360 
812 

4S5 

120 
5-17 
75 
190 
490 


Inches. 
4£ 
2£ 
6 
4 

4 
2 


Feet. 
140-160 


Feet. 


Feet. 
12 


Galls. 


Galls. 


Hand pump 

Pump 


Slightly sulphurous. 


2 






3 


812 


250, 570 


19 
50 

27 




290 




Analysis 1, Table 36. 
Analysis 2, Table 36. 


4 


Gasoline engine, 
deep-well pump. 


5 


113 
547 


200 








6 








Good. 


7 








Hard. 


8 








40 








Do. 


q 












Pump 

























Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 






Geologic horizon. 


Character. 




1 

9 


Domestic 

Plantation use 

Municipal supply. 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 


Marl 


See log, p. 245. 

Limestone cavity at 113 feet, 
p. 246. 




3 








4 


Eocene; Midway 














5 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 




See log, 


6 






7 




do 






8 


Domestic, boiler 
supply. 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 
Eocene? 






9 

















Table 36. — Analyses of well waters from, Early County. 
• [Parts per million.] 



Silica (Si0 2 ) 

Iron (Fe) 

Calcium (Ca) 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Sodium (Na) 

Potassium (K) 

Carbonate radicle (CO3) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3) . 

Sulphate radicle (SO4) 

Nitrate radicle (NO3) 

Phosphate radicle (PO4) 

Chlorine(Cl) 

Total dissolved solids 

Free carbon dioxide (CO2) . . 



8.0 
6.7 
5.4 
2.0 
42 
9.1 
.0 
114 
11 



18 

4.0 
47 

6.0 

13 

.0 
200 
8.0 
.5 



Trace. 
14 
140 
55 



4.0 

208 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 106, 190S. 



b FesOs+AlsOs. 



1. Town well at Blakely (No. 3, Table 35). Depth of principal water-bearing stratum, 812 feet. Edgar 
Everhart, analyst. 

2. Well of Callahan-Powell Co. (No. 4, Table 35). Sample collected June 1, 1911. Edgar Everhart, 
analyst. 



248 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

ECHOLS COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Echols County is in the southern part of the State along the Florida 
border. Its area is 362 square miles and its population 3,309 (census 
of 1910). The county is sparsely settled and has no large towns or 
cities. Lumbering and turpentining are the principal industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is nearly level, is poorly drained, and lies 125 to 170 
feet above sea level. Alapaha and Suwannee rivers have cut their 
valleys 40 to 60 feet below the general upland level, and each is bor- 
dered by a flat sand-covered terrace lying 10 to 15 feet above low- 
water level. Suwanoochee and Toms creeks and the other small 
streams of the county have low banks and flow through broad swampy 
flats. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Chattahoochee formation (Oligocene), which, consists of 100 
feet or more of limestones of greater or less purity, outcrops on 
Alapaha River below Statenville and probably underlies the whole 
county beneath younger formations. The Alum Bluff formation 
(Oligocene), which probably consists of 75 feet or less of phosphatic 
sands and greenish sandy clays, overlies the Chattahoochee forma- 
tion and outcrops over the southern two-thirds of the county and in 
the valleys of Alapaha River and other smaller streams. In the 
interstream areas in the northern part of the county "the Alum Bluff 
formation is overlain by 50 feet or less of irregularly bedded sands 
and clays of undetermined age. 

The Alum Bluff formation weathers to gray or white sands, which 
cover the surface to a depth of several feet. On the terraces bor- 
dering Alapaha and Suwannee rivers a thin covering of sand of 
Pleistocene age has been deposited. 

The limestones of the Chattahoochee formation are believed to be 
underlain in descending order by similar water-bearing limestones 
referable to the Vicksburg formation (Oligocene) and the Jackson 
formation (Eocene), but these formations have not been accurately 
differentiated. 

Beneath the limestones in descending order is a series of undiffer- 
entiated sediments of Eocene and Cretaceous age, which at an 
unknown depth, perhaps 2,500 feet or more, rest upon a basement 
of ancient crystalline rocks. These sediments contain important 
water-bearing beds. 



EFFINGHAM COUNTY. 249 

WATER RESOURCES. 

Abundant soft water for domestic purposes is obtained chiefly from 
shallow dug and driven wells, in some of which the water stands 
within 4 or 5 feet of the surface. 

The few springs yield only small quantities of water. The waters 
of the streams are dark to almost black from organic matter. 

The population of Statenville, the county seat, is 210 (census of 
1910). The town has no water-supply system and obtains water for 
domestic use chiefly from wells 20 to 30 feet deep and from four deep 
wells, the deepest of winch is said to be 160 feet. One well, informa- 
tion concerning which has been obtained from L. C. Solomon, the 
driller, is owned by the Garbutt Lumber Co. It is 148 feet deep and 
is cased to a depth of 71 feet, at which depth rock was entered. The 
water, which rises to within 40 feet of the surface, is probably derived 
from the Chattahoochee formation. A sample collected June 7, 1911, 
was analyzed by Edgar Everhart: 

Analysis of water from, vjell of the Garbett Lumber Co., Statenville. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 34 

Iron (Fe) 2 

Calcium (Ca) 25 

Magnesium (Mg) ■ 11 

Sodium and potassium (Na-f-K) 12 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) ' .0 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 136 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 12 

Chlorine (CI) 12 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) Trace. 

Total dissolved solids 182 

Abundant supplies of artesian water should be obtained anywhere 
in the county at depths less than 700 feet. Flowing wells can prob- 
ably be obtained on the low terraces bordering Suwannee and Alapaha 
rivers. 

EFFINGHAM COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Effingham County is in the eastern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia, its southern boundary being about 25 miles west of the 
Atlantic coast. Its area is 448 square miles and its population (cen- 
sus of 1910) is 9,971. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is nearly level, varying in elevation from 150 or 175 
feet above sea level in the north to less than 50 feet in the south. 
The county is bounded on the east by Savannah River. A series of 



250 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

high bluffs overlooks the river on the Georgia side, and at the foot 
of the bluffs are a few relatively small patches of swamp lying 8 to 
10 feet above low-water level. On the South Carolina side the river 
is bordered by a tract of swamp several miles wide. Ogeechee River, 
which forms the western boundary, is bordered by a large area of low 
and partly swampy land. The water of Savannah River is always 
more or less muddy from suspended sediment; that of the Ogeechee 
is muddy only when the river is at flood stage. Small streams are 
few in number and the county is dotted with small cypress ponds 
and bays. 

GEOLOGY. 

The surface deposits in the northern two-thirds or three-fourths 
of the county consist of 100 feet or less of argillaceous sands and 
clays which weather to white or yellow sands, the latter covering 
the surface to a depth of a few inches to several feet. These deposits 
are mapped as undifferentiated Oligocene-Pleistocene. In the south- 
ern part of the county the surface is covered with a thin veneer of 
gray or white Pleistocene terrace sands. 

The undifferentiated deposits are underlain in the eastern part of 
the county by 75 feet or less of sands, clays, and marls of Miocene 
age, which outcrop in the bluffs of Savannah River and which have 
been subdivided into the Marks Head marl and the Duplin marl. 

Stratigraphically beneath the Miocene deposits is the Alum Bluff 
formation, which consists of 100 feet or more of sands, clays, and 
marls, probably water bearing, and which outcrops on Savannah 
River north of Efhngham County and on Ogeechee River in the 
western part of the county. 

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by a series of undifferenti- 
ated limestones, sands, clays, and marls, which, in descending order, 
are of Oligocene, Eocene, and Cretaceous age. At an undetermined 
depth, probably between 2,000 and 3,500 feet, the Cretaceous depos- 
its rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. The Oligo- 
cene, Eocene, and Cretaceous deposits contain important water- 
bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The main source of domestic water supply is wells of the dug or 
driven type, ranging in depth from 10 to 40 feet. These yield an 
abundance of soft water which, however, is not as desirable from the 
sanitary standpoint as the waters of deep artesian wells. Artesian 
wells have been reported from Eden, Meldrim, Egypt, Guyton, Pine- 
ora, and Springfield; those at Eden and Meldrim flow. Springfield 
is the only town in the county owning a public water-supply system. 



EFFINGHAM COUNTY. 251 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 
of 200 to 800 feet or more. Flowing wells can be obtained in the 
southern part of the county and on the terraces bordering Ogeechee 
and Savannah rivers at places where the surface is 75 feet or less 
above sea level. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Springfield (population 504, census of 1910). — Springfield, the 
county seat, is in the central part of the county. An artesian well 
owned by Mr. Elliot Mingledoff supplies the town with water for 
general domestic purposes. The well is in a valley in the northern 
part of the town about 30 feet below the general level of the surround- 
ing country and is 400 feet deep. Marl (rock) is said to have been 
encountered at a depth of 290 feet. The principal water-bearing 
bed is at the bottom of the well and the water will rise 8 feet above 
the surface. A hydraulic ram installed at the mouth of the well 
forces the water to a tank 70 feet above the surface, from which it is 
distributed to the consumers. 

A well owned by G. M. Brinson in the southern part of the town, 
at a point where the surface is about 100 feet above sea level and 
about 30 feet higher than the surface at the mouth of the Mingledoff 
well, is 500 feet deep. The water stands within 24 feet of the surface. 

Eden. — Wells at Eden are described by McCallie 1 as follows : 

There are two wells located at this place, one 280 feet and the other 311 feet in depth. 
Each well has a diameter of 6 inches and furnishes a flow of several gallons of sul- 
phureted water per minute, which rises 12 feet above the surface. Only one flow is 
reported in the well and this was struck at about 275 feet. The strata penetrated are 
said to have been clays and marls, with thin layers of hard rock. 

Egypt. — A well at Egypt is described by McCallie * as follows: 

This well was sunk by the Central of Georgia Railway. It is reported to be 750 feet 
deep and 4 inches in diameter. Water rises to within 45 feet of the surface. Water- 
bearing strata were penetrated at 300 and 750 feet from the surface. The strata passed 
through are said to have been clay, sand, and marls, followed by limestone. 

Guyton. — A well at Guyton is described by McCallie * as follows : 

Mr. J. T. Wells's well, which is located about a mile east of Guyton post office, was 
completed in 1895 at a cost of $400. The well is 3 inches in diameter and 400 feet 
deep ; it furnishes hard, sulphureted water, rising to within 18 feet of the surface. The 
principal water-bearing stratum, which consists of sand, was struck at 300 feet. An 
incomplete record is as follows: 

Well of J. T. Wells at Guyton. 

Feet. 

Clay - 200 

Rock 200 -201$ 

Rocks in beds (sharks' teeth and shells) 201^-396 

Quicksand 396 -400 

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 107-108, 1908. 



252 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Meldrim.- -Wells at Meldrim are described by McCallie 1 as follows: 

There are two deep wells at Meldrim, one of which was sunk by the Central of Geor- 
gia Railway. It is reported to attain a depth of 538 feet. It is 6 inches in diameter 
and furnishes a good flow, rising 4 feet above the surface. The daily capacity of this 
well is said to be about 40,000 gallons. The water is used to supply the locomotives 
of the Central of Georgia Railway and for general domestic purposes. 

The other Meldrim well, owned by Mr. C. B. Guyer, is located about 300 yards west 
of the post office. It is 6 inches in diameter and 350 feet deep; it flows about 50 gal- 
lons of sulphureted water per minute. The water is said to rise 50 feet above the 
surface. It is used at present only for general domestic purposes, but Mr. Burnham, 
who furnished these data, notes that it is Mr. Guyer 's intention to use the water soon 
for irrigation. 

Table 37. — Wells in Effingham County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


1 


Eden 






S. W. McCallie * . . 




Feet. 
34 


9, 


do 






do 






3 




Central of Georgia 
Ry. 
J. T. Wells 




do 




143 


4 


Guy ton (1 mile east 
of).. 




W. W. Barnhami 
S.W. McCallie i . . 


1895 




5 


Central of Georgia 

Ry. 
C. B. Guyer 




39 


fi 


.... do 




do 






7 
8 


Springfield 

Springfield (J mile 
southeast of the 
post office) . 


Elliott Mingledofi . . . 


J. W. Showalter. 


H. B. Webb 

J. H. Hodge 


1910 
1908 


100 













Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
280 
311 
750 
400 
538 
350 
400 
500 


Inches. 
6 
6 
4 
3 
6 
6 
6 
8 


Feet. 
275 
275 
750 
300 


Feet. 
300 


Feet. 
+12 
+12 
-45 
-18 
+ 4 
+50 
+ 8 
-24 


Galls. 
2-3 
2-3 


Galls. 




Sulphurous. 
Do. 


? 


do 


? 








4 








Hard, sulphurous. 


5 


28 
50 
110 




Flows 


fi 






do 


Slightly sulphurous. 


7 


400 






do 


8 




Force pump 

















i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 107-109, 1908. 



EMANUEL COUNTY. 253 

Taple 37. — Wells in Effingham County — Continued. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 










a 




do 






3 


Boiler supply of 
locomotives. 








4 






See log, p. 251. 


fi 


Boiler supply of 
locomotives and 
domestic. 








R 








7 


do 


Oligocene? 




Ogeechee River a short distance west 
of Meldrim. 


8 


Domestic; manu- 
facturing; gen- 
eral. 















EMANUEL COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Emanuel County is in the northeast-central part of the Coastal 
Plain of Georgia in the area popularly known as the wire-grass region. 
Its area is 935 square miles and its population 25,140 (census of 1910). 
Cotton, lumber, and naval stores are the principal products. Manu- 
facturing establishments are few in number and small. Water is not 
extensively used industrially. Artesian water is used in the manu- 
facture of ice at Swainsboro. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is rolling to slightly hilly. Creeks and branches are 
numerous and occupy shallow valleys. Accurate determinations of 
altitude have not been made, but the upland is thought to be from 
about 250 to 400 feet above sea level. The highest land is the upland 
in the northern part of the county; the lowest is in the valleys of 
Ogeechee, Ohoopee, and Canoochee rivers, which are bordered by 
terrace plains 200 feet or less above sea level. 

GEOLOGY. 

The surface terrane throughout practically all the county consists 
of probably less than 100 feet of ferruginous coarse sands with sub- 
ordinate clay lenses, locally indurated to hard sandstones or clay- 
stones. These materials weather to loose gray sands which cover 
the surface to depths of 3 to 25 feet. The surface sands absorb rain- 
fall rapidly and their contained waters are tapped at a few places by 
shallow wells. Many small springs issue from the contact between 
the gray sands and the underlying unweathered materials. 

The surficial deposits are underlain by the Alum Bluff formation, 
which consists of 100 feet or more of bluish to drab sandy clays and 



254 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

sands with interbedded thin layers of sandstone and which outcrops 
in the valley of Ogeechee River in the north. The Alum Bluff for- 
mation is underlain by Oligocene limestones which probably belong 
in part to the Chattahoochee and in part to the Vicksburg formation 
and which are believed to be water bearing. 

Although nothing definite is known of the character of the strata 
a-t still greater depths, the succession of formations outcropping 
north of Emanuel County probably justifies the assumption that the 
Vicksburg formation is underlain by several hundred feet of sands, 
clays, marls, and limestones of Eocene age, representing in descending 
order the Jackson formation and the Claiborne group, and that the 
Claiborne group is underlain at still greater depths by 800 feet or 
more of sands and clays of Cretaceous age. The Eocene and Creta- 
ceous deposits probably contain important water-bearing beds. 

The Cretaceous deposits rest upon a basement of ancient crystal- 
line rocks which would probably be reached at about 1,200 feet in 
the north and at 1,500 feet or more in the south. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER, 

Wells 20 to 50 feet deep are the principal source of water for 
domestic use. The waters are commonly soft and should be whole- 
some, except where drawn from wells not properly protected against 
surface pollution. 

Small springs are numerous but are not used extensively. Gillis 
Spring, 3 miles southeast of Norristown; Beldon Spring, at Gray- 
mont; and Magnolia Spring, 4 miles southeast of Stillmore, are locally 
reputed to possess therapeutic qualities. The following is an analysis 
of a sample of water from Magnolia Spring, Edgar Everhart, analyst: 

Analysis of water from Magnolia Spring. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 1 5. 

Iron (Fe) 1.0 

Calcium (Ca) 2 

Magnesium (Mg) 3 

Sodium (Na) 1.6 

Potassium (K) 1 5 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 4. 2 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 4 

Chlorine (CI) , 4.0 

Total dissolved solids 15 

The prospects for obtaining artesian water throughout the county 
are considered good. Flowing wells can probably be obtained on the 
lowlands bordering Ogeechee, Ohoopee, and Canoochee rivers. Deep 



EMANUEL COUNTY. 



255 



wells have been drilled at Swainsboro, Stillmore, Adrian, Garfield, 
Summertown, and Summit. 



LOCAL SUPPLIES. 



Swainsboro (population 1,313, census of 1910). — The public water 
supply at Swainsboro is obtained from an artesian well. Three or 
more artesian wells are owned by individuals, and shallow dug wells 
are also used. Details concerning several wells will be found in Table 
38 (Nos. 8, 9, and 10). 

Stillmore (population 645, census of 1910). — The town of Stillmore 
has no public water-supply system, supplies for domestic use being 
obtained chiefly from dug wells ranging in depth from 20 to 65 feet. 
Two deep wells are described in Table 38 (Nos. 5 and 6). 

Adrian (population 816, census of 1910). — At Adrian there is a 
public waterworks system owned by T. J. James. The water is 
derived from an artesian well 300 (?) feet deep (No. 2, Table 38) and 
the daily consumption is 7,000 gallons. The artesian wells of the town 
range in depth from 250 to 500 feet. A well (No. 1, Table 38) on low 
land about a mile northeast of the town, also owned by Mr. James, 
flows 40 gallons a minute 30 feet above the surface. 

Garfield (population 319, census of 1910). — Water for domestic use 
is obtained chiefly from dug wells 15 to 60 feet deep. An artesian 
well (No. 4, Table 38) 400 feet deep, owned by the Garfield Oil Mills, 
also supplies water for general domestic purposes. 

Table 38. — Wells in Emanuel County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


1 








A. E. Smith 

Postmaster 


1903 


Feet. 
290 


?, 


do 


do 




290? 


3 








do 






4 


Garfield 


Garfield Oil Mills. 




R. N. Gay, post- 
master. 
J. R. Warren 


1905 




5 


Stillmore 


E. A. Edenfield, of 
Stillmore, and 
Geo. M. Brinson, 
of Springfield. 


Ephraim Eden- 
field. 


312 


6 


do 


S. W. McCalliea.. 




300? 




Summertown 

Swainsboro 

do 

do 

Rum mitt. 










300 


8 
9 


Jesse Thomson, sr. . . 
R. J. Williams 


Henry Loyd 


Jesse Thomson, sr. 
S. W. McCallieo.. 


1894 




in 






do 






n 






Wm. E. Hughes, 
Charleston, S.C., 
and J. T. Byrd. 



















a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 110, 111, 1908. 



256 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 38. — Wells in Emanuel County — Continued. 





Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 

water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
sui'face. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




JSJo. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
350 
300? 
110 

400 

600 

679 
300 
400 
400 
889 

400± 


Inches. 
4 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 
+30 


Galls. 
40 


Galls. 
10 
5 




Soft 


? 










3 








+ 2 
-80 

-50 

-70 


ii 






4 
S 


6 
3 
6 


100 


100 


Pumped; gasoline 

engine. 
Steam engine and 

air-lift pumps. 


Do. 


fi 










Hard 


7 














8 


6 
2 


370 




-90 

-90 






Deep-well pump.. 




9 








10 














11 


4 


/ 300- 
\ 400± 


} 


-85 




60 


Air-lift pump 


Sulphurous. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Domestic 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 
do 






?, 


Municipal supply 






3 




Alum Bluff for- 
mation? 
do 






4 


Domestic, manu- 
facturing. 

Domestic, manu- 
facturing, boiler- 
supply. 




Cost of well, $500; cost of machinery, 
$150. 


5 






6 


do 






7 


Domestic 








8 


Domestic, manu- 
facture of ice. 


Eocene 




Cost of well, $800; cost of machinery, 
$200. Operated by the Swainsboro 


9 


do 




10 


Public supply 
Manufacturing 


Cretaceous? 






11 














$500; 4-inch casing to 300 feet. The 
well was repaired (not drilled) by the 
Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., 
Charleston, S.'C. 



GLASCOCK COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Glascock County is in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia. Its area is 170 square miles and its population is 4,669 
(census of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is included in the physiographic division of the Coastal 
Plain known as the fall-line hills. The surface, which was at one 
time an upland plain, has become hilly as the result of the erosive 
action of Ogeechee River, Rocky Comfort Creek, and the numerous 
tributaries of the two streams, by which the county is drained. The 
topographic relief of the county probably does not exceed 200 feet. 



GLASCOCK COUNTY. 257 

GEOLOGY. 

Crystalline basement rocks, which are exposed in the beds of the 
streams at a few places, underlie the sediments of the Coastal Plain 
throughout the county. Lower Cretaceous deposits, consisting of 
coarse, irregularly bedded, arkosic sands with interbedded lenses of 
light-colored massive clay, rest upon the basement rocks and prob- 
ably reach a maximum thickness of 200 or 300 feet in the extreme 
south. One hundred feet or less of sands and clays belonging to the 
Claiborne group of the Eocene rest upon the Lower Cretaceous de- 
posits over a considerable part of the county, especially in the south- 
east and east. The Claiborne strata at one time covered the entire 
area but have been partly removed by erosion. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Wells 15 to 100 feet deep, commonly of the dug type, and springs 
are the chief sources of water for domestic use. They draw from 
porous beds of sand in the Cretaceous or Eocene deposits. Both 
wells and springs yield waters well adapted for domestic and indus- 
trial purposes. The waters of the numerous streams are excellent 
for stock and for making steam. 

Lower Cretaceous deposits underlie practically all the county, but 
their maximum thickness is probably not more than 200 or 300 feet. 
Beds of porous sand are numerous and contain considerable quan- 
tities of excellent water. Over parts of the area it is necessary to 
drill through overlying Eocene strata before reaching the underlying 
Lower Cretaceous beds. The Eocene deposits, which in places prob- 
ably reach a thickness of 100 feet, also carry moderate amounts of 
water in interbedded layers of sand. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Gibson (population 367, census of 1910). — Gibson, the county seat, 
owns a public artesian well which taps a water-bearing bed in the 
Lower Cretaceous. Mayor T. A. Walden has furnished the following 
information : 

The well was completed in 1909, and is in the public square in front 
of the courthouse. The depth is 151 feet and the diameter 4 inches. 
The only water-bearing bed recognized was entered at 150 feet, 
and yielded water rising to within 20 feet of the surface. Casing 
extends to the bottom of the well. The water is lifted by a force 
pump having a capacity of 10 gallons a minute, which is operated by 
water power furnished by a near-by stream. A sample of the water, 
collected May 31, 1911, was analyzed by Edgar Everhart as follows: 
38418°— wsp 341—15 17 



258 UNDERGROUND WATERS OE COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Analysis of water from town well at Gibson. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 41 

Iron (Fe) 4. 

Calcium (Ca) 9. 

Magnesium (Mg) 1.0 

Sodium and potassium (Na+K) 15 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 74 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 6. 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) 1 

Chlorine (CI) 4. 

Total dissolved solids 121 

GLYNN COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Glynn County is one of the seacoast counties in the southeastern 
part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. Its area is 439 square miles 
and its population 15,720 (census of 1910). Lumber, naval stores, 
and railroad crossties are the principal products. The rural districts 
are rather sparsely settled, the greater part of the population being 
centered at Brunswick, the county seat. Agriculture is not earned 
on as extensively as in the inland counties. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The greater part of the county is a low, flat, terrace plain covered 
by extensive swamps and lying less than 25 feet above sea level. A 
narrow northeast-southwest area in the western part of the county is 
50 or 60 feet above sea level. The streams enter the ocean through 
"drowned" valleys that have been submerged by the sea in geo- 
logically recent times. This submergence also caused the forma- 
tion of low islands, a network of tidal waterways, and large areas of 
salt marsh. The effects of the ocean tides are felt in Altamaha River, 
which forms the northern boundary of the county, to a point about 
15 miles above Darien, the river being bordered by tidal swamps that 
extend several miles above the salt marshes. Little Satilla and 
Turtle rivers are short tidewater streams. Tributary creeks and 
branches are few in number and have only slightly dissected the sur- 
face, which is topographically youthful. 

GEOLOGY. 

The surface formations of the county are of Pleistocene age. On 
the islands and on much of the mainland, especially near the coast, 
they are fine white or yellowish quartz sands, and in the extensive 
swamps and so-called flatwoods in the western part of the county 
they are mainly clays. The Pleistocene deposits do not exceed 50 



GLYNN COUNTY. 259 

feet in thickness and over the greater part of the area are probably 
much thinner. They are the source of the water obtained in most 
of the shallow wells. In the marshes mud or silt of Recent age over- 
lies the Pleistocene deposits and the beaches and islands are covered 
with Recent sands. 

The thin covering of Pleistocene deposits is underlain by an unde- 
termined thickness of Miocene sands, in part phosphatic, and clays 
with thin interbedded layers of indurated marl and limestone. 

The Miocene is underlain by a series of sands, clays, marls, and 
limestones, in descending order of Oligocene, Eocene, and Cretaceous 
age, which have never been completely penetrated by well borings 
and whose aggregate thickness is therefore unknown. At some 
unknown depth, probably 3,000 feet or more, the Cretaceous de- 
posits are believed to rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline 
rocks. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Wells, mostly of the driven type, ranging in depth from 6 to 30 
feet, are common. Throughout the greater part of the county the 
water table stands within a few feet of the surface, so that small 
suction pumps suffice to lift the water from the wells. The waters 
obtained are soft, but owing to the low, swampy condition of most 
of the county they are considered less wholesome than artesian 
waters. On the islands, soft waters of fair quality are obtained at 
depths of 6 to 25 feet. 

There are a few small seepage springs of no importance. The 
waters of ponds, streams, and swamps are used to some extent for 
stock and for steam production. 

Many flowing artesian wells from 300 to 1,000 feet deep, on both 
the mainland and the islands, yield large quantities of water. The 
artesian waters are moderately hard and emit rather strong odors of 
hydrogen sulphide, but are potable and are more wholesome than 
waters from other sources. It is practicable to utilize the waters for 
irrigation, but it should be remembered that an extremely heavy 
drain on the artesian reservoirs at local points may lower the static 
head sufficiently to cause the wells to cease flowing. 

Brunswick is the only large town in the county and the only town 
having a public water-supply system. Artesian wells have been 
drilled at all the post offices and villages and are the chief source of 
water for domestic purposes. 

Flowing wells of large yield can be obtained throughout the county 
at depths of 300 to 1,000 feet or more. 



260 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



LOCAL SUPPLIES. 



Brunswick (population 10,182, census of 1910). — The present mu- 
nicipal water supply of Brunswick is obtained from a flowing well 
(No. 5, Table 39) 1,003.5 feet deep owned by the Mutual Light & 
Water Co., at 1525 Grant Street. The public water supply at 
Brunswick was formerly obtained from three artesian wells (No. 4, 
Table 39) at the waterworks pumping station. Originally the wells 
supplied the needs of the city, but the yield decreased so greatly 
that it became necessary to install pumps. The cause of the de- 
crease is not known, but it can not be attributed to a general over- 
draft on the underground supply, for other wells in the city and 
county continue to yield large flows, and it is probably due to a 
local overdraft in the immediate vicinity of the pumping station. 

In addition to the city wells there are many flowing artesian wells 
in and near the city, which range in depth from 300 to 1,000 feet 
and yield large quantities of wholesome water. 

The following log of a well (No. 10, Table 39) recently drilled by 
H. J. Linniman for the Southern Naval Stores Construction Co. has 
been furnished by Mr. Robert June: 

Log of well No. 3 of the Southern Naval Stores Construction Co., Brunswick (No. 10, 

Table 39). 



Thick- 


ness. 


Ft. in. 


53 


37 


7 


1 2 


11 10 


9 


6 3 


73 


6 


84 


60 


100 


30 


20 


10 


20 


40 


440 



Depth. 



Sand 

Hard and soft limestone 

Sand, water bearing : . . . 

Hard limestone 

Bed of shells 

Hard limestone 

Gravel, composed of small black and white pebbles 

Marl 

Hard marl 

Marl, with thin, indurated layers 

Mud and fine sand; first flow at 300 feet 

Marl, with thin indurated layers and soft sandstone 

Limestone 

Porous limestone; second flow 

Hard limestone 

Sand 

Massive white limestone 

Porous limestone and layers of sand; contain shells; third flow at 650 feet 



Ft. 

53 

90 

97 

98 

110 

110 

117 

190 

196 

280 

340 

440 

470 

490 

500 

520 

560 

1,000 



A sample from a depth of 650 feet consists of a porous phosphatic 
sand cemented by silica and calcium carbonate. It contains frag- 
ments of oyster shells and other fossils, none of which are well enough 
preserved for specific identification. The flow at 300 feet exerts 
a pressure of one-half pound per square inch at the surface; the sec- 
ond flow, between 470 and 490 feet, exerts a pressure of 8 pounds ; 
and the third flow, at 650 feet, exerts an estimated pressure of 22 
pounds. When this well was completed the yield of well No. 2 (No. 9, 
Table 39), distant about 200 feet, the depth of which is 650+ feet, 



GLYNN COUNTY. 261 

decreased, from 700 to 500 gallons per minute. McCallie x gives the 
following additional information concerning wells at Brunswick: 

Col. C. P. Goodyear's well, for instance, located in the southern part of the city, 
is reported to reach a depth of 822 feet. This well penetrated water-bearing strata 
at 302, 425, and 525 feet, the latter stratum furnishing a flow of 250 gallons per minute. 
The water from these different horizons rises about 12, 28, and 57 feet, respectively, 
above the surface. 

Mr. Fred Baumgartner, the well contractor, who put down many of the Brunswick 
wells, has furnished the Survey the following record of the high-school well [No. 6, 
Table 39]: 

[Log of high-school well at Brunsivich (No. 6, Table 39).] 

Feet. 

Yellow sand 0- 55 

Thin layers of sandstone interlaminated with clay 55-112 

Blue clay or marl 112-212 

Soft porous limestone with shells 312-332 

Coarse sand and pebbles 332-357 

Hard rock 357-359 

Blue marl or clay 359-459 

Thin layers of limestone with clay and sand 459^179 

Very fine white sand at 479 

An analysis of water from trie high-school well is given in Table 
40 (analysis 2) . 

Thalman. — W. A. Morgan, of Eastman, owns a flowing well (No. 
18, Table 39) at Thalman, the water of which is notable for its 
large content of sulphate. The well is about 50 yards south of the 
depot, is reported to be 400 feet deep, and flows several feet above 
the surface. The water emits a very strong odor of hydrogen sul- 
phide. (See Table 40, analysis 8.) It is used principally for drinking. 

Jointer Island. — According to George Kennedy, one of the original 
owners, a flowing well (No. 15, Table 39) on Jointer Island, 4 miles 
south of Brunswick, penetrated sands, gravels, and layers of shells, 
with interstratified layers of hard flintlike rock at intervals of about 
15 feet. Water was found beneath a layer of hard rock at 260 feet, 
in a cavity or in soft sand which allowed the drill to drop about 15 
feet. (See analysis 6, Table 40.) 

St. Simons Island. — Wells on St. Simons Island are described by 
McCallie 2 as follows : 

There are four artesian wells reported on St. Simons Island, varying in depth from 
438 to 465 feet. The only one of these wells from which anything like a detailed 
account has been preserved is the Hilton & Dodge Lumber Co.'s well at St. Simons 
Mills. This well, which was sunk in 1886, is 6 inches in diameter and 438 feet deep. 
It furnishes 250 gallons of sulphureted water per minute. The water rises 40 feet 
above the surface. It is largely used for steam purposes. The first flow in this well 
was struck at 350 feet. It yielded 8 gallons per minute. The second flow began at 
435 feet and gradually increased to the bottom of the well. 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. Ill, 112 ,1908. 2 idem, pp. 115, 116. 



262 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

The following notes on the different strata penetrated in the well 
on St. Simons Island (No. 16, Table 39) were made by Mr. McCallie 1 
from a series of borings furnished by the Hilton & Dodge Lumber 
Co.: 

Log of Hilton & Dodge Lumber Co.'s well on St. Simon Lsland (No. 16, Table 39). 

Feet. 

Very fine gray sand to 10 

Dark-colored marsh mud containing fragments of shells to 20 

Rather coarse gray sand with fragments of oyster and other shells to . . 40 
Quite similar to overlying sand, somewhat coarser, with only a few 

shells to 50 

Coarse gray sand and water-worn pebbles of quartz and feldspar to . . 60 

The pebbles are often an inch or more in diameter. 
Very coarse sand and water-worn pebbles of quartz and feldspar to . . 70 
The pebbles are often an inch or more in diameter. 

Moderately coarse sand and pebbles and comminuted shells to 80 

Fine dark-gray sand and pebbles to 90 

Fine brown sand and a few angular quartz pebbles with clay to 100 

Fine dark -gray sand, similar to that found at 90 feet 110 

A conglomerate of quartz pebbles and coarse sand with clay matrix 

to 115 

There occur in the conglomerate a few dark or brown-colored, 
small, rounded particles, consisting largely of calcium phos- 
phate. 

Coarse gray sand and fragments of shells to 120 

The sand granules are well rounded and consist of feldspar of 
dark color. 
The same as above except that the fragments of shells are more 

abundant to 125 

Fine gray sand with some mica to 133 

Fine gray sand and quartz pebbles to 143 

Similar to the above except darker and with less clay to 153 

Fine gray sand with mica to 170 

Fine gray sand to 180 

Fine light-gray sand with much mica to 190 

Fine dark-gray, clayey sand with mica, diatoms, and spicules of 

sponges to 200 

The same as above but darker to 230 

Fine sand with numerous diatoms and spicules of sponges to 250 

Diatomaceous earth, containing an innumerable number of micro- 
scopic rhombohedral crystals of calcite to 310 

Fine light-gray, micaceous sand with mica and small teeth resem- 
bling those of the gar pike to 320 

Rather coarse gray sand containing sharks' teeth, dental plates of 
rays (?), fragments of bones, and small pieces of clay containing 

diatom shells and sponge spicules to 324 

Gray sandstone or quartzite containing casts of shells and glauconite 

to 327 

Moderately coarse gray sand to 330 

Coarse water-worn sand with small sharks' teeth to 350 

The same as above except that it contains fragments of shells to . . . 360 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 115-116, 1908. 



GLYNJST COUNTY. 263 

Feet. 
Dark-gray marl made up largely of microscopic crystals of calcite to . . 400 
Very compact, fine, dark-gray clay, slightly tinged with green, to . . 410 
Fine dark-gray clay, frequently indurated, glauconite more or less 

abundant, to 420 

Coarse, dark-colored, glauconitic sand containing small teeth of 

sharks to 430 

Coarse dark sand with rounded pebbles of quartz and feldspar to. . . 435 
Fine white sand to 438 

Bladen. — A well at Bladen (No. 1, Table 39) is described by 
McCallie 1 as follows: 

The Bladen deep well, owned by Mr. J. A. Ward, has a depth of 480 feet. It is 3 
inches in diameter, and flows about 100 gallons per minute. The water, which is used 
for domestic and steam purposes, rises 30 feet above the surface. It is hard and sul- 
phureted. Water-bearing strata are reported at 160, 260, and 475 feet, respectively. 
Nothing is known of the strata penetrated in the well, except that they consist of clay 
and sand, with a few beds of rock and oyster shells. 

Everett City.— A well (No. 12, Table 39) at Everett City is de- 
scribed by McCallie x as follows : 

Mr. R. H. Everett's well, at Everett City, was put down in 1894. It is 460 feet deep 
and 2 inches in diameter, and it furnishes a flow 38 feet above the surface. The water 
is hard and sulphureted and is used for domestic and steam purposes. No record of 
the well was secured. 

Crispin. — McCallie describes a well near Crispin (No. 7, Table 39) 
as follows : 2 

A flowing well, owned by Mr. Harry Gignilliat, and located 6 miles northwest of 
Brunswick, on the road leading to Crispin, has a depth of 377 feet. It is 4 inches in 
diameter and it furnishes 50 gallons of sulphureted water per minute. Water-bearing 
strata are reported at 200 and 270 feet, respectively. Water from the first stratum is 
said to rise to within 8 feet of the surface, and from the last 14J feet above the 
surface. 

Mr. L. L. Deering, the well contractor, gives the following record of the Gignilliat 
well: 

[Log of well of Harry Gignilliat, near Crispin {No. 7, Table 39).] 

Feet. 

Sand 0- 4 

Clay 4-12 

Sand 12-14 

Clay 14-26 

Sand 26-36 

Clay 36-46 

Sand and shells 46- 66 

Rock 66-68 

Clay 68-88 

Sand rock 88-100 

Clay 100-130 

Rock '. . 130-133 

Clay 133-163 

Sand 163-168 

i Georgia Geol. Surrey Bull. 15, p. 117, 1908. 2 Idem, p. 118. 



264 UNDERGKOUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Feet. 

Clay 168-188 

Rock 188-191 

Sand and shells, water bearing 191-220 

Clay 220-230 

Sand : 230-272 

Clay 272-280 

Sand 280-288 

Clay 288-304 

Rock 304-310 

Clay 310-325 

Rock 325-327 

Clay 327-357 

Rock 357-362 

Clay 362-370 

Rock, water bearing 370-377 

Evelyn. — A well at Evelyn (No. 11, Table 39) is described by 
McCallie 1 as follows: 

Mr. T. J. Dent's well at Evelyn, in the northern part of Glynn County, has a depth 
of 420 feet. It is 2 inches in diameter, and the water rises 14 feet above the surface. 
The first flow was struck at 370 feet from the surface; but the well was continued to 
420 feet without increase of flow. The water is sulphureted, and is used for farm 
and general domestic purposes. 

Jekyl Island. — A well on Jekyl Island (No. 14, Table 39) is de- 
scribed by McCallie 2 as follows: 

The well of the Jekyl Island Club, which furnishes 250 gallons per minute, is 6 
inches in diameter and 480 feet deep. The flow of the well is said to have perceptibly 
decreased since its completion. Whether this decrease is due to an accumulation of 
sand in the casing or to an overdraft on the water-bearing stratum is not known. 
[See analysis 5, Table 40.] 

Table 39. — Wells in Glynn County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 


1 




J. A. Ward 




S. W. McCallie 3.. 
do.3 


1894 


Feet. 
15? 


fl 




H. W. Loyd 


Fred Baumgart- 
ner. 


14? 


3 


Brunswick, 2 miles 

north of. 
Brunswick (three city 

wells). 


do. 3 






4 


City 




do.3 




14? 


5 


Mutual Light & 
Water Co. 

City. 


Southern Con- 
tracting Co. 


H. F. Dunwoody, 
mgr. Mutual 
Light & Water 
Co. 

S. W. McCallie 3 . . 


1912 


20 


fi 


Brunswick public 
high school. 

Crispin, near, 6 miles 
northwest of Bruns- 
wick. 


14? 


7 




L. L. Deering... 


do.3 

















i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 119, 1908. 



2 Idem, p. 114. 



3 Idem, pp. 111-119. 



GLYNN COUNTY. 

Table 39. — Wells in Glynn County — Continued. 



265 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 


8 


Brunswick, 1J miles 
northwest of. 

do 


Southern Naval 
Stores Construc- 
tion Co. (well No. 
D- 

Southern Naval 
Stores Construc- 
tion Co. (well No. 
2). 

Southern Naval 
Stores Construc- 
tion Co. (well No. 
3). 

T. J. Dent 








Feet. 
12 




do 




12 


10 


do 


H. T. Tinniman . 


do 


1911 


12 


11 






S.W. McCallieo... 








R. H. Everett 






1894 
1905 


16 


13 


Everett City (Ocean 
View Hotel). 


W. H. Crofton 






16 


M 


Jekyl Island Club 




S. W. McCallieo.. 




15 


Jointer Island, 4 
miles south of 
Brunswick. 

St. Simons Island 

St. Simons Island 
(Ocean View Ho- 
tel). 

Thalman, at depot 


Leon E. Robarts, 
Brunswick. 

Hilton & Dodge 
Lumber Co., St. 
Simons Mills. 


George and Oli- 
ver Kennedy, 
Brunswick. 




1900 
1886 


6 


16 


S.W. McCallieo... 
A. T. Arnold 




17 


Fred Baumgart- 
ner, Bruns- 
wick. 












±20 




man. 













Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Height 

of 
water 
above 

surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
480 

822 
485 

300-500 
1,003.5 

479 
377 
650 
650+ 
1,000 
420 
460 
350± 
480 

275 
438 
500 

400 


Inches. 
3 

4 


Feet. 
475 
525 


Feet. 
160, 260 
302, 425 


Feet. 
30 
57 
27 


Galls. 
100 
250 


Galls. 




Hard, sulphurous. 
Do. 


9 


do 


3 




do 


Hard, sulphurous; 

analysis 3, Table 

40. 
Hard, sulphurous. 
Analysis 1, Table 40. 

Analysis 2, Table 40. 
Hard, sulphurous. 


4 










Pump 


5 


10 


540- 
1,002.5 


250- 
300 




2,794 




Flows 


6 




7 


4 

4§ 
6 
10 
2 
2 
2 
6 

3 
6 


270 
650? 
650? 
650 
370,420 


200 


14| 


50 

+600 

+500 

+3,500 




Flows 


8 


do 


9 








do 




in 


320,490 


14 
38 
30 




do 




ii 




do 


Hard, sulphurous. 
Do. 


12 






...do 


13 










...do 


Analysis 4, Table 40. 
Hard, sulphurous; 
analysis 5, Table 40. 
Analysis 6, Table 40. 
Hard, sulphurous. 
Analysis 7, Table 40. 
Sulphurous; analy- 
sis 8, Table 40. 


14 






250 




...do 


In 


260-275 
435-438 


350 


30 
40 




do 


Ifi 


250 




...do.... 


17 






18 




400 






40 















a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 111-119, 1908. 



266 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 39. — Wells in Glynn County — Continued. 



No. 



Use. 



Domestic, boiler 
supply. 



Irrigation 

Former municipal 

supply. 
Municipal supply. 



Distillation 

wood. 
do 



.do. 



Domestic; farm. 



Domestic. 



Domestic 

Boiler supply, etc. 



Domestic and irri- 
gation. 
Drinking 



Principal water bed. 



Geologic horizon. 



Tertiary. 
....do... 



Tertiary. 
....do... 



.do.... 
.do.... 
.do.... 



.do. 



.do. 



.do. 

.do. 
.do. 
.do. 
.do. 
.do. 



.do. 
.do. 



Character. 



Limestone, sand, 
etc. 



Porous limestone. 
....do 



.do. 



Sand. 



Remarks. 



2 wells on Smith plantation. 



Flowed when first drilled. 

Cost of well 85,476; 12-inch casing to 440 
feet; the first good flow was obtained 
at 560 feet; flow increased to 800 feet, 
also considerably between 900 and 
1,002.5 feet. Well finished in hard, 
white limestone, which was pene- 
trated 1 foot. 

See log, p. 261. 

See log, pp. 263-264. 

6-inch casing to 200 feet; 4J-inch casing 
to bottom. 

Cost of well $3,000; 8-inch casing to 200 
feet; 6-inch easing to bottom; yield 
decreased from 700 to 500 gallons a 
minute when well No. 3 was drilled. 
Discharges 7 feet above surface. 

14-inch casing to 195 feet; 10-inch casing 
to bottom. Discharges 4 feet above 
surface. See log, p. 260. 



Cost of well, $300. 

3-inch casing to about 75 feet. 

3 other artesian wells on the island 

range in depth from 438 to 465 feet. 

See log, pp. 263-264. 



Table 40. — Analyses of underground waters from Glynn County. 



No. 



Date of 
collection. 



Dec. 18,1912 



June 2, 1911 



Feb. 17,1913 
June 10,1911 
Dec, 1909 



Source. 



Well of Mutual 
Light & Wa- 
ter Co. 

High school 
well. 

Well of H. W. 
Loyd. 

Well of W. H. 
Crofton. 

WelloftheJekyl 
Island Club. 

Well of Leon E. 
Robarts. 

Well of W. Ar- 
nold. 

Well of W. A. 
Morgan. 



Location. 



Brunswick. 



.do. 



Brunswick, 2 miles 

north of. 
Everett City 



Jekyl Island. 



Jointer Island, 4 
miles south of 
Brunswick. 

St. Simons Island 
at Ocean View 
Hotel. 

Thalman (at de- 
pot). 



Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 



Tertiary. 



do... 

....do... 
....do... 



.do. 
.do. 



do... 



.do. 



Depth. 



Feet. 

540- 

1,002.5 

302 

485 

350 

480 

260- 
275 

500 
400 



Analyst. 



Edgar Everhart. 

Do.o 

Do. 

Do. 
H. C. White.o 
Edgar Everhart. 

Do. 

Do. 



<J Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 112-114, 1908. 



GRADY COUNTY. 



267 



Table 40. — Analyses of underground waters from Glynn County — Continued. 

[Parts per million.] 



6 


O 

3 


"3" 

a 

o 

1— 1 


2. 
a 

1 

a 

3 


"5" 

o 

g 
o 


"3 

a 
a 

as 
a 

03 


'o? 

a 

g 

o 

GO 


g 

a 

o 

Ph 


03 
M 

©O 

-go 
Pl w 

o 

03 
O 


•3 

03 

So 

oW 

03 
O 

s 


« 
o 

-a 

03--=, 

h O 
■& 

3 

m 


to 

o 

X) ■ 
OS'S 

*g 

e3 


5 

CD 

.3- 
*-. 

o 

3 
o 


'a 

03 

M 

AS 

03 o3 

S S 
03 

> 


T3 

> 

o . 

Sg 

"3 

o 
Eh 


Remarks. 


1 
2 

3 
4 

s 


39 
24 

15 

14 
1.2 

47 
28 
12 


2.0 
5.4o 

27 o 
.1 




42 
31 

33 

37 
62 
43 
11 
24 


25 

18 

7.5 

4.0 
2.0 
23 
1.0 

15 


1 

23 

50 

6 
31 


5 

7.6 

2.4 

7 
.8 


0.0 
.0 

Tr. 

83 
.0 
.0 


163 
126 

120 

172 

212 
164 
128 


91 

64 

84 

103 
69 

128 
16 

101 


Tr. 
Tr. 

0.7 

.3 

.0 

.0 

Tr. 


17 
17 

27 

17 
16 
17 
18 
28 


22 


304 
271 

308 

340 
287 
389 
202 
291 


Well 5, Table 39. 
Total depth, 479 feet. 

Free carbon dioxide 

(C0 2 )=7. Well 6, 

Table 39. 
Free carbon dioxide 

(CO 2 )=.0. Well 3, 

Table 39. 
Well 13, Table 39. 
Well 14, Table 39. 


6 

7 
8 


8.0 
Tr. 
1.5 


5.0 


3 
5 
52 


4 

7 
.5 


Well 15, Table 39. 
Well 17, Table 39. 
Well 18, Table 39. 



o Fe 2 Os+ A1 2 3 . 

GRADY COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Grady County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia, along the Florida border. Its area is 444 square miles 
and its population 18,457 (census of 1910). Cotton, corn, sugar 
cane, lumber, and naval stores are the chief products. The manu- 
facture and shipment of "Georgia" cane sirup is an important local 
industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The northern part of the county is nearly level to gently undu- 
lating, and for the most part has the characteristic topography, soil, 
and vegetation of the Altamaha upland or wire-grass region. South 
of Cairo and Whigham the relief becomes stronger, and in places the 
surface is hilly though not rugged. Throughout the county lime 
sinks and lime-sink ponds characterize the topography. Most of the 
county is drained by Ochlockonee River and its tributaries, but a 
small area in the northwest drains into the "Big Slough" — a narrow 
area of lowland about 20 miles long lying principally in Mitchell and 
Decatur counties, but touching the northwest corner of Grady County. 
The valleys of the small creeks and branches are shallow and the 
waters of the streams spread out through the swamps which border 
their courses. Ochlockonee River is a sluggish, black-water stream 
which flows canal-like through a terrace plain half a mile to a mile 
wide lying 10 to 15 feet above the river level. 

The altitude at Cairo is 237 feet and at Whigham 265 feet above 
sea level. The surface north of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad is 
somewhat higher and south of it is somewhat lower than at Whigham. 



268 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Vicksburg formation, which consists of 200 feet or more of 
porous and cavernous water-bearing limestones, underlies the entire 
county, but appears at the surface only in one small area in the 
extreme northwest. This limestone is overlain by the Chattahoochee 
formation, which consists of approximately 100 feet of cavernous 
water-bearing limestones and which outcrops in a narrow area in the 
northwest and on Ochlockonee River in the south, and is exposed in 
both sections in the walls of numerous lime sinks. 

The Chattahoochee formation is overlain by 100 feet or less of 
sandy clays and sands belonging to the Alum Bluff formation, which 
outcrops in a narrow area in the northwest, in a somewhat larger 
area in the south, and in the valleys of Ochlockonee River and its 
tributaries from the Florida line to the northeastern corner of the 
State. Throughout the greater part of the county the Alum Bluff 
formation is overlain by 50 feet or less of irregularly bedded argilla- 
ceous sands and sandy clays of undetermined age. 

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by limestones belonging to 
the Jackson formation, and the latter is underlain in descending 
order by undifferentiated Eocene and Cretaceous strata, probably 
having an aggregate thickness of 2,000 feet or more, which do not 
appear at the surface within the county. The Cretaceous deposits 
rest upon a deeply buried basement of crystalline rocks. The Eocene 
and Cretaceous deposits contain water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

In the rural districts water supplies for domestic use are obtained 
chiefly from dug wells ranging in depth from 20 to 50 feet. Small 
springs scattered through the county are used locally for general 
domestic purposes. One artesian well each has been reported from 
Cairo, Whigham, Calvary , and Beachton. 

Artesian water can be reached throughout the county at depths 
of 100 to 1,000 feet or more, but it is doubtful if any flows can be 
obtained. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Cairo (population 1,505, census of 1910). — A public water-supply 
system is owned by the town of Cairo. Water is derived from an 
artesian well (No. 2, Table 41) 10 feet above the level of the track at 
the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad station. The depth of the well is 
750 feet, and the water is reported to come from a rock stratum, 
probably of Eocene age, at the bottom. The static head is 200 feet 
below the surface, and the yield by pumping is 125 gallons per 
minute. The sulphate content is much greater than has been noted 



GEADY COUNTY. 269 

in most other Coastal Plain waters of Georgia. A sample taken on 
May 13 , 1911, was analyzed by Edgar Everhart, with the following 

results : 

Analysis of water from town well at Cairo (No. 2, Table 41). 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 24 

Iron (Fe) 4 

Calcium (Ca) 54 

Magnesium (Mg) 12 

Sodium and potassium (Na+K) 28 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 173 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 112 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) 2 

Chlorine (CI) 19 

Total dissolved solids 342 

WJiigJiam (population 627, census of 1910). — The principal source 
of water supply at Whigham is an artesian well (No. 4, Table 41) 432 
feet deep owned by the town. Two water-bearing beds are reported 
to have been penetrated, one at 200 feet and the other, the principal 
one, at 430 feet. The well is cased to 250 feet and the water rises 
to within 30 feet of the surface. 

Calvary (population 225, census of 1910). — A well at Calvary 
(No. 3, Table 41), owned by the village, is 372 feet deep, and the 
water, which stands within 63 feet of the surface, is reported to be of 
satisfactory quality for domestic use. Rock was encountered in the 
well at a depth of 100 feet. 

Beachton. — McCallie 1 gives the following data relating to a well 
(No. 1, Table 41) near Beachton, a small village in the southwestern 
part of the county: 

This well, owned by Mr. S. M. Beach, is located in the southern part of the county 
near the Georgia-Florida line. It is 6 inches in diameter and 110 feet deep; it fur- 
nishes a copious supply of water, rising to within 40 feet of the surface Solid rock 
was struck at 85 feet. The only water-bearing stratum reported occurs at the bottom 
of the well. 

Table 41. — Wells in Grady County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


1 




S. M. Beach 




S. W. McCallie * . . 




Feet. 


9, 




Public 


William Miller.. 


K. P. Wright 


1906 


247 


3 








4 




do 








265 

















1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 180, 181, 1908. 



270 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 41. — Wells in Grady County — Continued. 





Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Leve 
of 




Yield per 
minute. 








Mo. 


cipal 
water- 
bearing 

bed. 


u :itcr 

below 
surface. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


How obtained. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
110 
750 
372 
432 


Inches. 
6 
3 


Feet. 
110 
750 


Feet. 


Feet. 
40 
200 
63 
30 


Gaits. 


Galls. 






2 
3 




125 


Air-lift pump 


See analysis, p. 269. 


4 


6 


430 


200 








Sulphurous. 










No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 










2 




m 
Eoc 

Vic 


ation? 




Rock 


3-inch casing to 350 feet. Cost of well, 
$1,200; cost of machinery, §1,500. 


3 


factu 
Domes 

do. 


ring. 






4 




tion. 
do 




Rock 


6-inch casing to 250 feet. Cost of well, 
SI, 200; cost of machinery, 8275. 











HANCOCK COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 



Hancock County is in the northeast-central part of Georgia on the 
border between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. 
Its area is 530 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 
19,189. Agriculture is the chief industry. 



TOPOGRAPHY. 



Less than half the county is within the Coastal Plain 
all of this portion lies south of the Georgia Railroad, the 
falling within the Piedmont Plateau. The Coastal Plain 
a part of the physiographic division known as the fall-line 
surface is hilly, having been considerably dissected by 
streams of Town and Buffalo creeks, tributaries of Oconee 
by headwater streams of Ogeechee River, which drain it. 
mum surface relief is probably between 250 and 350 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 



and nearly 
remainder 
area forms 
hills. The 
headwater 
River, and 
The maxi- 



Crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau region outcrop at the 
surface over the northern half of the county. In the southern half 
the southward-sloping surf ace of the crystalline rocks is buried beneath 
deposits of the Coastal Plain except where they are exposed by ero- 
sion in the beds of the larger streams. The deposits of the Coastal 
Plain are for the most part of Lower Cretaceous age and consist of 
coarse irregularly bedded sands with interbedded lenses of massive 



HOUSTON COUNTY. 271 

light-colored clays, reaching a probable maximum thickness of 150 
or 200 feet in the extreme south. In a limited area in the southeast 
the Lower Cretaceous deposits are unconformably overlain by a rela- 
tively thin overlap of sands and clays which belong to the Claiborne 
group of the Eocene. (See PL III, p. 52.) 

The texture, composition, and structure of the Lower Cretaceous 
strata are favorable to the absorption and circulation of waters in 
moderate quantities, the amount available at any given place being 
determined by the thickness of the deposits and the local drainage 
conditions. 

WATEE RESOURCES. 

In the Cretaceous area in the southern part of the county water 
for domestic use is obtained from dug wells 10 to 100 feet deep, which 
tap the water-bearing sands of the Lower Cretaceous deposits, and 
from small springs. The wells, as a rule, are fitted with bucket and 
rope for lifting the water to the surface. 

The waters from both wells and springs are soft and of excellent 
quality except at places where insanitary surface conditions are close 
enough to cause contamination. 

The Lower Cretaceous deposits probably do not attain sufficient 
thickness within the county to afford water which can be classed as 
artesian under the topographic conditions. Along the extreme south- 
eastern border the deposits are perhaps 150 to 200 feet thick and 
doubtless contain water-bearing beds of some importance; but they 
probably develop little artesian pressure within the county. North- 
ward, toward the Piedmont border, the quantity of water carried by 
the beds is less, and only moderate supplies for domestic purposes 
can be obtained. Over the greater part of the area wells sunk more 
than 100 feet would enter the underlying basement crystalline rocks. 

HOUSTON COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Houston County is located in the north-central part of the Coastal 
Plain of Georgia. Its area is 585 square miles and its population is 
23,609 (census of 1910). Agriculture and horticulture are the chief 
industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

From the latitude of Grovania northward the county is included 
within the physiographic division of the fall-line hills and is part of 
a dissected upland plain, much of which has been rendered hilly by 
stream erosion. However, a tract surrounding Fort Valley in the 
northwest has been but slightly dissected and presents a nearly level 
plain. The remainder of the county south of the latitude of Gro- 
vania falls within the physiographic division of the Dougherty plain. 



272 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Ill the extreme south this plain is characterized by nearly level tracts 
75 to 100 feet lower than the plain at Fort Valley. The Dougherty 
plain is not sharply separated from the fall-line hills, the two types 
of topography merging gradually. 

In the valley of Ocmulgee River two relatively narrow terrace 
plains of Pleistocene age have been developed, one lying 10 to 20 
feet and the other 60 to 75 feet above low-water level. 

The county is drained chiefly by Ocmulgee River through its tribu- 
taries, Echaconnee, Big Indian, Tuscawhachee, and several smaller 
creeks. A relatively small area in the southwest is drained into 
Flint River through Hogcrawl Creek. The surface relief of the 
county probably does not exceed 300 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

Deposits of Cretaceous age underlie the whole county, but are 
concealed from view by overlapping Eocene strata except where the 
Eocene beds have been removed by erosion, in the valleys of Ocmulgee 
River, Echaconnee Creek, Indian Creek, and their tributaries in the 
northern half of the county. In a belt several miles wide, along the 
northern border of the area, the partly buried Cretaceous beds belong 
to the Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation, and to the 
south of this, in a belt several miles wide extending east and west 
across the county, they belong to the Providence sand member of 
the Ripley formation. The Providence sand rests conformably upon 
the Cusseta sand, but the two divisions have not been accurately dis- 
criminated owing to similarity of materials and paucity of exposures. 

Underlying the Cusseta sand at unknown depths, perhaps 300 or 
400 feet in the northern part of the county, are Lower Cretaceous 
deposits which at still greater depths rest upon a basement of crys- 
talline rocks. A well at Fort Valley 1,075? feet deep failed to reach 
the crystalline rocks. (See No. 3, Table 42.) 

The Cretaceous formations are overlain throughout the greater part 
of the county by Eocene strata, consisting, in ascending order, of the 
Claiborne group, composed of red, ferruginous, and more or less 
argillaceous sands and the Jackson formation composed of massive 
limestones, marls, and calcareous glauconitic clays. Upon the Eocene 
lies the Vicksburg formation, of Oligocene age, consisting of white 
limestones, sands, clays, and residual sands and clays with masses of 
flint. The total thickness of the Eocene and Oligocene formations in 
the southern part of the county is probably 300 or 400 feet. (See 
PI. Ill, p. 52.) 

In relatively narrow areas bordering Ocmulgee River thin terrace 
deposits of sand, gravel, loam, and clay of Pleistocene age rest upon 
Cretaceous or Eocene strata 



HOUSTON COUNTY. 



273 



WATER RESOURCES. 



DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 



Water for general domestic purposes is obtained chiefly from dug 
or bored wells from 40 to 125 feet deep. The waters are commonly 
soft and of satisfactory quality, although they are more or less 
strongly mineralized. 

Small springs emitting as a rule less than 10 gallons per minute 
are fairly numerous throughout the greater part of the county, 
although locally they are reported scarce or absent. In places the 
spring waters are very soft and are low in mineral content. Norwood 
Spring, owned by Mrs. J. B. Clarke, of Marshallville, Ga., rises from 
dark mud in a marsh lh miles northeast of Myrtle and is visited by 
the inhabitants of the surrounding region because of its reputed 
beneficial qualities. (See analysis 2, Table 43.) 

At many places creeks and branch streams are available as sources 
of supply for the use of domestic animals and for steam making. 

Logs of several dug wells are given in the succeeding paragraphs, 
the owners being the authorities for the lithology. 

Log of well of J. W. Epting, 1\ miles southwest of Power sville (No. 9, Table 42). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Eocene, Claiborne group: 

Clay 

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation: 

"Chalky" [clayey] strata, gradually becoming sandy (some water) 

Clay 

Sandy, "chalky" [clayey] strata, yellowish 

Coarse, white sand, water bearing 



Feet. 
30 

30 
25 
23 
2 



Feet. 



30 

60 
85 
108 
110 



Log of well of T. N. White, 3 miles south of Dunbar (No. 2, Table 42). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Eocene?: 

Red clay 

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation: 

White sand, except two layers of "chalk' 
in lower 3 feet 



Feet. 
20 



Feet. 



[clay] each 1 foot thick, water bearing 



20 
106 



Log of well of W. A. Stubbs, 4\ miles east of Wellston (No. 13, Table 42). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Eocene, Claiborne group: 

Solid red clay 

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Providence sand member: 

Yellow and white sand, in part flne, alternating with "chalk" [clay], water bearing 
in sand in lower 3 feet 



Feet. 
20 



Feet. 



20 



38418°— wsp 341—15- 



-18 



274 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Log ofivell of T. W. Leverett at Wellston (No. 14, Table 42). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Eocene, Claiborne group: 

Stiff, hard , red clay 

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Providence sand member: 

Coarse sand with numerous flint rocks [pebbles] as large as end of thumb, water bear- 
ing in lower 8 feet 



Feet. 
40 



Feet. 
40 



The Upper Cretaceous sediments which underlie all the county 
and the Lower Cretaceous strata which lie buried beneath the 
Upper Cretaceous deposits, the whole aggregating a thickness of 
more than 1 ,000 feet, are composed in part of beds of water-bearing 
sand. Several wells in the county which tap these beds have yielded 
waters more or less ferruginous, but it is believed that in general 
the waters are not excessively charged with mineral matter. The 
wells from which the municipal water supply at Fort Valley is 
obtained tap water-bearing beds in the Cretaceous deposits. 

In the interstream areas in the northern part of the county it 
is necessary to drill through a relatively thin covering of red ferru- 
ginous sand of Eocene age before entering the Cretaceous strata. The 
Eocene beds thicken southward and in the extreme south it would 
probably be necessary to drill through 300 or 400 feet of strata of 
this age to reach the Cretaceous water-bearing beds. 

In the southern part of the county beds of sand in the Eocene 
formations carry moderate amounts of potable water, which should 
be reached at depths of 50 to 400 feet. 

Although no flowing wells have been reported in the county it is 
probable that flows can be secured in the valley of Ocmulgee River 
and its tributaries at elevations not exceeding 40 or 50 feet above 
low-water level. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Fort Valley (population 2,697, census of 1910). — The town of 
Fort Valley is provided with a water-supply system concerning 
which the following information has been furnished by J. L. Fincher, 
superintendent of waterworks. 

The system, which is owned by the town, is supplied with water 
from two wells, Nos. 1 and 2, 364 and 400 feet deep, respectively, 
located at the pumping plant. (See Nos. 4 and 5, Table 42.) For- 
merly the supply was obtained from a group of seepage springs on 
the Fagan plantation, 3 miles to the east. The water is lifted to a 
50,000-gallon tank by duplex steam pumps having a daily capacity 
of 450,000 gallons. The length of the distributing mains is 4J miles. 
The tank pressure is 42 pounds, and the possible direct pressure from 
the pumps is 70 pounds. There are 200 taps for domestic purposes, 
10 for manufacturing purposes, and 35 fire hydrants. The quantity 



HOUSTON" COUNTY. 275 

of water used daily for domestic purposes is 100,000 to 125,000 
gallons and for manufacturing, 50,000 gallons. 

The wells are 150 feet apart. The 364-foot well is 8 inches in 
diameter, and when first drilled an 8-inch casing was inserted to the 
bottom. A strainer 64 feet long and 6 inches in diameter was 
inserted from 300 feet to the bottom of the well. The 8-inch casing 
was then withdrawn 60 feet so that its lower end was just below 
the top of the strainer. The 400-foot well was constructed in the 
same manner as the 364-foot well, except that 100 feet of 6-inch 
strainer was inserted in the lower 100 feet of the well. Because 
of the greater length of the strainer in the second well it yields more 
water than does the first well. The wells are not pumped to their 
full capacity, the yield being more than sufficient to supply the 
present needs of the town. An analysis of water from the 400-foot 
well is given in Table 43 (analysis 1). 

Logs of the two wells just described were not prepared, but Mr. 
Fincher states that the material penetrated in the first 25 or 30 feet 
is red, ferruginous, case-hardened sand, below which the section 
consists of fine to coarse quartz sand with some thin interbedded 
layers of clean white clay or kaolin. The sands are for the most 
part light gray, but some layers are stained yellow or red with iron 
oxide. 

There is at the water plant an old abandoned well said to have been 
drilled to a depth of 1,075 feet (well No. 3, Table 42). The following 
is a partial log: 1 

Partial log of well at Fort Valley (No. S, Table 42). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Red clay 

Sand 

White clay 

Yellow sand 

White clay 

Quicksand with pebbles. 

Hard rock 

Quicksand. 



Feet. 

20 

20 

8 

40 

10 

400 

(?) 



Feet. 
20 
40 



(?) 



Except for the upper 25 or 30 feet, which is probably referable to 
the Claiborne group of the Eocene, the beds penetrated are of Cre- 
taceous age. The Ripley formation (Cusseta sand member) of the 
Upper Cretaceous, which immediately underlies the red Eocene 
stratum at the surface, was probably entirely penetrated, and the 
underlying Lower Cretaceous deposits were probably penetrated to 
a depth of several hundred feet. If the depth reached is as great 
as given (1,075 feet), the bottom of the well is probably very near the 
basement crystalline rocks. 

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 120, 1908. 



276 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Perry (population 649, census of 1910). — Perry, the county seat, 
owns a water-supply system that obtains water from Indian Creek, 
a near-by stream. The distributing tank has a capacity of 50,000 
gallons. (See analysis 4, Table 43.) 

The following record of one well (No. 6, Table 42) at Perry, drilled 
by the town, has been published by McCallie: 1 

Log of well at Perry (No. 6, Table 42). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Red massive clay 

White clay 

Yellowish sand with 4 inches of impervious iron ore at its base 

Sand, with thin partings of clay 

Dark carbonaceous material — possibly lignite 

Coarse gravel 



Feet. 
10 

so! 

82 
4 
2 



Feet. 
10 
10J 
50 
132 
136 
138 



An undetermined upper portion of the section is referable to the 
Claiborne group of the Eocene, and the remainder, the greater part, 
including the water-bearing gravel at the bottom, to the Providence 
sand member of the Ripley formation. Zinc, a very unusual con- 
stituent of Georgia waters, is reported in the water from this well 
(No. 3, Table 4). The analysis is old and no more reasonable 
explanation of this phenomenon presents itself than the doubt that 
the analysis is correctly reported. 

The Southern Mortgage Co., of Atlanta, Ga., owns a 381-foot well 
(No. 8, Table 42) 4f miles southwest of Perry. Detailed informa 
tion concerning this well was furnished by the S. S. Chandler Arte- 
sian Well Co., from whom also the following log was obtained: 

Log of well of Southern Mortgage Co., 4$ miles southwest of Perry (No. 8, Table 42). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Red clay 

Sand 

Chalk [marl?] 

Yellow sand 

Red clay 

Quicksand 

Marl 

Sand and marl 

Hard rock 

White sand, water bearing 



Feet. 
69 
10 
40 
20 
11 
180 
20 
20 
6 
5 



Feet. 



79 
119 
139 
150 
330 
350 
370 
376 
381 



Water, which rose within 56 feet of the surface, was obtained 
from the white sand between 376 and 381 feet. The yield was tested 
with a 4-inch pump for 5 days at 50 gallons per minute; the maxi- 
mum yield was not determined. An analysis is given in Table 43 
(No. 5). The well probably penetrated the basal Eocene strata of 
this area and entered the upper part of the Ripley formation. 



i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 121, 1908. 



HOUSTON COUNTY. 



277 



Other localities. — Detailed information concerning several deep 
wells is given in Table 42. The water obtained from most wells of 
this type has proved unsatisfactory. The well at Perry (No. 6, 
Table 42) is used but little because the water has a strong ferrugi- 
nous taste. The water of the well 3| miles west of Wellston (No. 
12, Table 42) is satisfactory for drinking and for steam producing, 
but not for cooking and laundering, probably because of the iron in 
it. Mr. Smith, the owner, says concerning it: 

The water is not perfectly clear and contains some mineral properties which render it 
unfit for washing clothes or for cooking. A golden yellow color is imparted to rice or 
hominy cooked in it, and linens washed in it are turned to a similar color. 

The well at Byron, owned by J. H. Peavey (No. 1, Table 42), was 
abandoned for reasons not given. The following is its log: x 

Log of well of J. H. Peavey, at Byron (No. 1, Table 42). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Upper Cretaceous: 

Sands and "chalk" (kaolin) 

Quicksand and "chalk" (kaolin) in 3-foot layers, 
sand 



Water-bearing stratum, coarse 



Feet. 
250 



Feet. 
250 



310 



It is probable that all the beds penetrated belong to the Cusseta 
sand member of the Ripley formation. 

Table 42. — Wells in Houston County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 


1 








S. W. McCallies.. 


1902 

1885 


Feet. 
515± 


9 


Dunbar, 3 miles 

south of. 
Fort Valley 


T. N. White 






3 


H. C. Harris 




S. W. McCalliea.. 


525 


4 


Fort Valley (well 

No. 1). 
Fort Valley (well 

No. 2). 




J. L. Fincher 

do 


J. L. Fincher 

do 


1911 
1911 


525 


<> 


do 


525 


6 


S. W. McCalliea.. 




7 


Perry, 1 mile east of. . 
Perry, 4| miles south- 
west of. 

Powersville, 1J miles 

southwest of. 
Powersville, 1 mile 

north of. 
Powersville, 1 mile 

northeast of. 
Wellston, 3| miles 

west of. 
Wellston, 4£ miles 

east of. 
Wellston (near post 

office). 


D. H. Culler 






1868 
1911 

1875 

1820? 

1908 

1903 

1890 


Onhill. 


8 


Southern Mortgage 
Co., Atlanta, Ga. 

J. W. Epting 


S~. S. Chandler 
Artesian Well 
Co. 






q 




500± 


10 


J. P. Newell 




. .do 




11 


W. E. Saeger 




.do 


425± 


i?, 


J. A. Smith 


N. M. Brewer, 
Dawson, Ga. 


do 

.. .do 




13 


W. A. Stubbs 




14 


Thos. W. Leverett.. 




do 


320± 















» Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 122, 1908. 



2Idem, pp. 120-122. 



278 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 42. — Wells in Houston County — Continued. 



No. 


Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
below 
surface. 


Yield per min- 
ute by pump- 
ing. 


How obtained. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 

310 

106 

1, 075? 

364 

400 

138 

45 
381 
110 

109 

95 

216 

93 

6S 


Inches. 
36 

36 

4 
8 
8 

4 

48,36 

4 

36,24 

36 
48 
3 

36 

36 


Feet. 

103 

300 

300-364 

300-400 

136 

40 

376-381 

108 

105 
95 
207 

90 

60 


Feet. 
f 210 
\ 275 
I 310 

(?) 
180 
ISO 


Feet. 

i 185 

103 
100 
120 
120 

42 


50 gallons 


■ 




? 


Small 


Bucket and rope. . 

Abandoned 

Air-lift pump .... 




3 






4 

5 


100 gallons 
180 gallons 


Soft. 

Soft; analysis 1, 
Table 43. 

Strongly ferrugi- 
nous; analysis 3, 
Table 43. 


6 




Hand pump 

Force pump 

do 


7 


Small 


8 


60 

15 

180 

58 


56 
106 

103 
88 
118 

90 

56-64 


50+ gallons 


Analysis 5; Table 43. 
Soft. 


q 


Small 


Force pump, gaso- 
line engine. 
Bucket and rope. . 


10 


Small 


Do. 


11 


Small 


Do. 


12 
13 


3 to 5 gallons... 


Air-lift pump 

Bucket and rope.. 
do 


Somewhat ferrugi- 
nous. 

Slightly ferrugi- 
nous. 


14 













No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Ripley formation 
(Cusseta sand 
member). 


Coarse sand 

do 


Cost, $335. Well abandoned; see log, 
p. 277. 

Dug. Cribbed in part with wood. 

Cost, S50. See log, p. 273. 
Well abandoned. See log, p. 275. 


?, 




3 




Ripley formation.. 
Ripley formation 

(Cusseta sand 

member?). 


Sand 


4 


Municipal supply, 
.do 


do 


5 


.do 




fi 




Ripley formation 
(Prov i d e n c e 
sand member). 
do 


Coarse gravel 


Water is little used. See log, p. 276. 

Dug. Cost of well, $20; of pump, $60. 
8-inch casing to 56 feet; 6-inch casing to 

330 feet; 4-inch casing to 3S1 feet. 

See log, p. 276. 
Dug. Cost of well, $100; of pump, $250. 

See log, p. 273. 
Dug. Cribbed in part with wood. 
Dug. Cribbed in part with wood. 

Cost, $60. 
Drilled. Length of casing, 207 feet. 

Cost of well, $300; of pump, $300. 

Unfit for laundry and cooking. 
Dug. Cribbed 75 feet. Cost, $40. See 


7 




S 


do 


Ripley formation?. 

Cusseta sand 

do 


White sand 

Coarse white sand. 
do 


q 


do 


in 


do 


11 


....do 


do 




l? 


Boiler and drink- 
ing. 


Upper Cretaceous. 

Ripley formation 
(Pro v i d e n c e 
sand member). 

do 




13 


do 


14 


do.. 


Coarse pebbly 
sand. 


log, p. 273. 
Dug. Cost, $45. See log, p. 274. 



IRWIN COUNTY. 



279 



Table 43. — Analyses of underground waters from Houston County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 



Dale of 
collection. 



Source. 



Location. 



Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 



Depth. 



Analyst. 



May 20,1911 



.do. 



Town well No. 2. 
Norwood Spring 



Fort Valley. 



Myrtle (1£ miles 
northeast of) . 



Town well . 



May 5, 1911 
May 30,1911 



Big Indian 

Well of South- 
ern Mortgage 
Co. 



Perry 

Near Perry. 



Ripley forma- 
tion (Cusseta 
sand mem- 
ber?). 

Ripley forma- 
tion (Provi- 
dence sand 
member ?). 

Ripley forma- 
tion (Provi- 
dence sand 
member) . 



Feet. 
400 



Perry (4 J miles 
southwest of). 



Ripley forma- 
tion? 



376-381 



Edgar Everhart. 



Do. 



W. H. Hollings- 
head.o 



Edgar Everhart. 
Do. 















> 


o 


o 


g> 


a> 




-a 


















o 
















6 




3, 


"c3 
Q 






T3 
03 


T3 
03 

3° 


T3 


-3 . 

03^ 

^2 


o 


o . 


Remarks. 


d 


03 
o 

m 


o 


3 

.a 
< 


a 

o 


a 

03 


o 
an 


o 

,Q 

H 

03 

O 


03 

5 


<BCQ 

P. 
CO 


03 


a 

o 

3 

o 


o 




1 


29 


3.0 




2.0 


1.0 


5.0 


0.0 


12 


5.0 


0.5 


5.0 


63 


Well 5, Table 42. 


2 


5.5 


1.5 




2.0 


1.0 


3.0 


.0 


10 


7.0 


.2 


5.0 


40 




3 


8.5 
15 


5.5 
,6 


2.8 


4.4 
3.0 


1.3 
1.0 


6 6.1 
3.0 






7.8 
Tr. 


1.5 


2.2 

3.5 


<=57 
52 


Well 6, Table 42. 


4 


.0 


15 




5 


10 


2.0 




4.0 


1.0 


4.0 


.0 


24 


9.0 


Tr. 


4.5 


43 


Well 8, Table 42. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 121, 1908. 

b Trace of potassium. 

c Phosphate radicle (P0 4 ) 2.1; zinc (Zn) 9.4; lithium (Li) trace. 



IRWIN COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 

Irwin County is in the central part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia, 
about midway between the Atlantic coast and the western boundary 
of the State. Its area is 378 square miles and its population is 10,461 
(census of 1910). Lumbering and agriculture are the principal 
industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is nearly level to gently rolling. The streams are 
small, have broad shallow valleys, and flow sluggishly through 
wide swamps. Small cypress ponds and bays are numerous. 

GEOLOGY. 

The surface terrane throughout practically the whole county 
consists of 50 feet or less of irregularly bedded argillaceous sands and 
sandy clays which weather to loose gray sands. The surficial deposits 



280 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

are underlain by the Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 100 to 
150 feet of sands and clays which outcrop only in one or two very 
small areas near the southern boundary of the county. The Alum 
Bluff formation is underlain by undifferentiated limestones, sands, 
clays, and marls, in descending order of Oligocene, Eocene, and 
Cretaceous age, probably having an aggregate thickness of several 
thousand feet. The Cretaceous deposits are believed to rest upon 
a deeply buried basement of ancient crystalline rocks. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug wells 10 to 40 feet deep are the main source of domestic water 
supply. Springs are few and of slight importance. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 200 to 
1,000 feet or more. The static head will probably nowhere be 
great enough to produce flows. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Ocilla (population 2,017, census of 1910). — Ocilla owns a public 
water-supply system, which draws from an artesian well. The well 
was completed in 1906, is 355 feet deep, and 8 inches in diameter. 
The principal water-bearing bed is near the bottom; the water, 
which rises to within 98 feet of the surface, is lowered 8 feet by pump- 
ing. The water is used for domestic purposes and for the boiler 
supply of several cotton gins and one sawmill. The water-bearing 
stratum is probably in the Vicksburg formation of the Oligocene. 
The following analysis of a sample of water from this well, collected 
April 4, 1911, is by Edgar Everhart: 

Analysis of water from the 355-foot town well at Ocilla. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 18 

Iron (Fe) 1. 5 

Calcium (Ca) 34 

Magnesium (Mg) 6. 2 

Sodium and potassium (Na+K) 5. 6 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 158 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) Trace. 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) Trace. 

Chlorine (CI) 4.5 

Total dissolved solids 144 

The water is clear, emits a slight odor of hydrogen sulphide, and is 
suitable for general domestic purposes. 

The following information on a deep well at the lumber mill of the 
Ensign Oskamp Co. is given by McCallie: 1 

> Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 123, 124, 1908. 



JEFF DAVIS COUNTY. 281 

This well, which was put down in 1900 at a cost of $1,200, is 6 inches in diameter 
and 512 feet deep. The water rises to within 40 feet of the surface, but by continuous 
pumping it is lowered to 120 feet. The maximum yield is 35 gallons per minute. 
The water is used with surface water, after being treated with boiler compound, 
for steam purposes. Water-bearing strata are reported at 312 and 496 feet, respectively. 

The following record of the well is from memory: 

[Log of well at mill of Ensign Oslcamp Co., at Ocilla.] 

Feet 

Soil and clay 0-60 

Soft rock 60-76 

Sand 76-105 

Rock - 105-300 

Very hard rock 300-312 

Porous limestone with cavities 4 feet deep 312-512 

JEFF DAVIS COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Jeff Davis County is in the central part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia in the long-leaf pine or wire-grass section. Its area is 300 
square miles and its population is 6,050 (census of 1910). Agri- 
culture, lumbering, and turpentining are the principal industries. 
The county is sparsely settled and Hazelhurst, the county seat, 
is the only town of importance. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Over the greater part of the county the surface is nearly level to 
slightly rolling. Altamaha River and its tributary, Ocmulgee River, 
which form the northern boundary, have cut their valleys 150 to 200 
feet below the upland level to the south; the Southern Railway track 
at Hazelhurst is approximately 170 feet higher than the low-water 
level at Lumber City. Altamaha and Ocmulgee rivers are bordered 
by two Pleistocene terrace plains, one lying 10 to 20 feet and the other 
40 to 50 feet above low-water level. These plains are better developed 
on the north side of the valley than on the south side in Jeff Davis 
County, where in many places they are narrow or absent. Through- 
out its extent along the northern border of the county the river 
valley is separated from the upland to the south by an abrupt 
escarpment. 

The interstream areas are poorly drained, and small cypress ponds 
and bays characterize the topography. The elevation above sea 
level at Hazelhurst, the county seat, is 256 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

The surface deposits throughout the entire county, except in a few 
relatively small areas in the north, consist of 100 feet or less of 
irregularly bedded sandy clays and sands, with subordinate, inter- 



282 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

bedded layers of argillaceous sandstone and quartzite. They are 
underlain by 100 feet or more of soft sandy clays and sands with inter- 
bedded thin layers of sandstone and quartzite belonging to the Alum 
Bluff formation, which outcrops in the bluffs of Ocmulgee and Alta- 
maha rivers. Pleistocene terrace sands and clays have been laid 
down in narrow areas bordering Ocmulgee and Altamaha rivers. 

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain in descending order by a 
series of undifferentiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls of Eocene 
and Cretaceous age, probably aggregating several thousand feet in 
thickness, which contain important water-bearing beds. In an oil- 
prospecting well 8 miles southwest of Hazelhurst, water-bearing lime- 
stones which may represent in descending order the Chattahoochee 
and Vicksburg formations (Oligocene) and the Jackson formation 
(Eocene) were penetrated from 400 to 815 feet. At an undetermined 
depth the Cretaceous deposits rest upon a basement of ancient crys- 
talline rocks. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The main sources of domestic water supply throughout the county 
are dug wells 15 to 60 feet deep. The waters of the shallow wells are 
derived from beds of sand that are either surficial or belong to the 
underlying Alum Bluff formation. The waters are soft and if pro- 
tected from surface contamination are of satisfactory quality for 
domestic purposes. 

Springs are small and few and are unimportant. Ponds and 
streams are utilized for stock and for boiler supply. 

Artesian water can probably be obtained anywhere and flowing 
wells are possible on the terraces bordering Altamaha and Ocmulgee 
rivers. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Hazelhurst (population 1,181, census of 1910). — Hazelhurst, the 
county seat, is on the flat divide between Ocmulgee and Satilla rivers 
256 feet above sea level. The water supply of the town is derived 
from a public artesian well and from shallow dug wells owned by 
individuals. 

The public well (No. 3, Table 44), completed in 1911, is 643 feet 
deep and 8 inches in diameter. The water is reported to be derived 
from cavernous limestone below 482 feet, to which depth the casing 
extends, and to rise to within 171 feet of the surface. A small yield 
of water was obtained from a pebble bed at 140 feet, and a second 
supply at about 460 feet. The static head is said to be lowered 20 
feet when the well is pumped continuously 125 gallons per minute. 
The water is hard, clear, and colorless, has a faint odor, and has 



JEFF DAVIS COUNTY. 283 

proved satisfactory for domestic use. The limestone from which 
the water is derived is referable questionably to the Vicksburg for- 
mation. A sample collected April 6, 1911, was analyzed by Edgar 
Everhart with the following results: 

Analysis of water from the public artesian tvell, Hazelhurst (No. 8, Table 44). 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 24 

Iron (Fe) 4 

Calcium (Ca) 52 

Magnesium (Mg) 4. 

Sodium and potassium (Na+K) 18 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 2. 5 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 178 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 9.0 

Chlorine (CI) 9. 5 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) Trace. 

Total dissolved solids 231 

Another well at Hazelhurst, near the bottling works, is reported to 
be between 400 and 500 feet deep and to tap a water-bearing bed at 
about 400 feet. 

Three oil-prospecting wells 8 or 9 miles southwest of Hazelhurst 
have been drilled by Mr. L. F. Hinson, but only meager data have been 
obtained concerning them. In one well 828 feet deep, on the Hinson 
farm, water rises to within 125 feet of the surface. One of the 
drillers has furnished the following log: 

Log of oil-prospecting well 8 miles southwest of Ha&elhurst (No. 5, Table 44). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Surface clay and sand 

Soft clayey sand 

Bluish clay and sand 

Hard rock (limestone), shells at top . 

Principally limestone 

Black sandstone 



Feet. 

25 
200 
175 

15 
400 

13 



Feet. 
25 
225 
400 
415 
815 
828 



Goldsmith. — At Bird's turpentine distillery near Goldsmith a well 
was drilled to 700 feet. Gas is reported to have been found at a 
depth of 550 feet. 

On the bank of Hurricane Creek near Goldsmith and about three- 
quarters of a mile north of the Georgia & Florida Railway trestle 
is a well 300 feet deep, the water of which is said to stand within a 
few feet of the surface. 



284 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 44. — Wells in Jeff Davis County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Authority. 


Date 

com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


1 


Goldsmith, neai 
Goldsmith (on 










Feet. 


Feet. 
700 
300 

643 
400 
828 


Inches. 


? 


Hurri- 












3 


cane 
Hazelh 
do. 


?reek). 


City 




1911 


256± 


8 


4 










f> 




L. F. Hinson 


Well driller 










southwest of). 












No. 


Depth 
to prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to other 
water- 
bearing 
beds. 


Level 
of 

water 
below 
surface. 


How obtained. 


Horizon of prin- 
cipal water bed. 


Remarks. 


1 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 








9 














3 
4 


482-643 
400 


140,460 


171 


Pumped 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 
do 


surface. 
City supply. See analysis, p. 283. 


<\ 




128 




















Two other oil-prospecting wells 
have been drilled in vicinity. 



JEFFERSON COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 



Jefferson County is in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia, between Oconee and Savannah rivers, 12 to 15 miles south 
of the fall line. Its area is 720 square miles and its population 21,379 
(census of 1910). Agriculture and the production of lumber are the 
principal industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The northern part of the county, which lies within the physio- 
graphic division known as the fall-line hills, is somewhat broken or 
hilly, and the interstream areas are thinly covered with residual gray 
sand. The southern part contains nearly level areas underlain by 
limestone and characterized in places by lime sinks and ponds. The 
county is drained chiefly by Ogeechee River and its tributaries. 

In the north the interstream areas lie about 500 feet above sea 
level. The upland surface inclines slightly southward, descending to 
about 300 to 350 feet above sea level in the southern part of the 
county. At the junction of Williamsons Swamp creek with Ogeechee 
River in the extreme southeast the elevation above sea level is about 
200 feet. 



JEFFERSON COUNTY. 285 

GEOLOGY. 

The Claiborne group of the Eocene, which appears at the surface 
throughout the greater part of the county, has been subdivided 
into two formations, the McBean formation and the Barnwell sand. 
The McBean formation consists of 300 to 400 feet of sands, clays, 
marls, and limestones containing important water-bearing beds; 
the Barnwell sand, which overlies the McBean formation, consists of 
100 feet or less of red sands with interbedded thin layers of sandstone 
and gravel. 

In the southwest, south of Williamsons Swamp creek, the Clai- 
borne group is overlain by a small thickness of irregularly bedded 
sands and clays of undetermined age. The Claiborne group is under- 
lain by 500 to 1,000 feet of irregularly bedded sands and clays of 
Cretaceous age, which contain numerous water-bearing beds and con- 
stitute an important source of artesian waters in the region; these 
beds appear at the surface only in a few small areas in the northwest. 

The Cretaceous deposits rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline 
rocks which lie at depths of 200 to 300 feet in the north but descend 
to probably 1,200 to 1,500 feet in the extreme south. In the oil- 
prospecting well 3^ miles southwest of Louisville (see p. 287) the 
basement rocks were struck at 1,140 feet. 

WATER RESOURCES. 
DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Wells ranging in depth from 25 to 75 feet are the chief source of 
domestic water supply, and where protected from surface contami- 
nation they yield waters of good quality. In the southern part there 
are limestone springs of considerable size, and in the hilly area in the 
north small springs are common. Springs, however, are not exten- 
sively utilized. An analysis of water from Omaha Spring, near 
Avera, collected June 3, 1911, is given in Table 46 (analysis 1). 

Although Cretaceous deposits appear at the surface only in small 
areas along the extreme northwestern boundary, they can be reached 
throughout the remainder of the county by drilling through from 100 
to 500 feet of overlying Eocene strata. As they contain numerous 
beds of porous sand abundant supplies of water should be obtained 
from them. The water-bearing beds would be tapped at 100 to 300 
feet in the extreme north and at 400 to 1,200 feet or more in the 
extreme south. The static head of the water in the Cretaceous 
deposits in the valleys of Ogeechee River and its tributaries in the 
central and southern parts of the county should be great enough to 
produce flows. 



286 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN' OF GEORGIA. 

Water-bearing beds of sand in the Claiborne group are tapped at 
50 to 100 feet in the north and at 50 to 500 feet in the south. Flow- 
ing weUs are obtained from the Claiborne group in the valleys of 
Ogeechee River and its tributaries in the southern part of the county. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Louisville (population 1,039, census of 1910). — At Louisville 
shallow dug wells are the chief source of domestic water supply, 
though artesian wells are owned by several residents. The town has 
no system of waterworks. An analysis of water from an artesian 
well at the fair grounds is given in Table 46 (analysis 2). 

McCaUie * gives the following information concerning wells at 
Louisville: 

There are five artesian wells in or near Louisville varying in depth from 350 to 
450 feet. Water-bearing strata were struck in these wells at 200 and 300 feet, the 
main water supply being obtained from the latter stratum. Only those wells which 
are located on low ground furnish a flow. 

The following notes on the strata penetrated in putting down the Louisville deep 
wells were obtained from Mr. G. H. Harrell of Louisville: 

[General log of wells in and near Louisville {No. 3, Table 45).] 

Feet. 

Red motley clays 25 

Fine yellow sand 40 

Quicksand 6 

Marl, with fragments of shell 8 

Blue marl 100 

Flint 0. 5 

Marl, honeycombed rock, and lignite 100 

Coarse sand with mica (?) 

In addition to the wells above noted, there is also another well located at a water 
station, 2 miles south of Louisville, on the Louisville & Wadley Railroad. This is 
a 4-inch well, 325 feet deep, and it furnishes 20 gallons of water per minute. Two 
water-bearing strata were struck in this well, one at 150 and the other at 300 feet 
from the surface. The former furnishes only a small flow, while the water from the 
latter rises 20 feet above the surface. 

An oil-prospecting well (No. 5, Table 45) 3^ miles southwest of 
Louisville completely penetrates the deposits of the Coastal Plain, 
including the Cretaceous and Eocene strata. Although the facts 
recorded furnish no direc fc information as to the character of the water- 
bearing strata encountered, the log of the well is instructive on account 
of the light which it throws on the structure of the region. The log, 
as furnished to McCallie 2 by James Tague, contractor, is as follows: 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 125, 126, 1908. ' 2 Idem, pp. 128-131. 



JEFFERSON COUNTY. 287 

Log of oil-prospecting well 3% miles southeast of Louisville (No. 5, Table 45). 



Mixed clay and sand 

Sand and rock 

Blue clay 

Blue clay and sand 

Blue clay 

Sand 

Hard rock 

Soft sand rock 

Sand 

Hard rock 

Sand 

Soft rock 

Hard rock 

Blue clay 

Sand rock 

Sand and clay 

Blue clay 

Sand 

Blue clay and shale 

Hard rock 

Blue clay and sand layers 

Hard rock 

Sand 

Hard rock 

Blue and white clay 

Hard rock 

Sand 

Shale 

Sand 

Blue clay and shale 

Fine sand 

Clay and shale 

Fine sand 

Sand 

Red clay 

Red and white clay 

Red clay 

Sand 

White clay 

Hard clay 

Clay 

Sand with gas 

Sand with hard layers 

Mixed clay 

Sand 

Mixed clay 

Sand 

Clay 

Sand 

Tough clay 

Sand 

Hard layer 

Sand 

Sandy clay 

Sand 

Mixed clay 

Sand 

Mixed clays 

Sand 

Clay 

White and yellow sand. . . 

White clay 

Sand 

Shale 

Clay 

Sand 

Clay 

Hard layer 

Blue clay 

Sand 

Clay 

Sand 

Shale 

Sand 

Clay 

Clay and shale 

Very hard shale 

Cemented gravel 

Hard rock 



Thick- 
ness. 



Ft. in. 



2 4 
13 10 
1 1 



9 10 
198 



4 

10 7 

62 5 

4 

38 10 

37 2 

10 

8 1 

16 

8 

14 8 

2 

5 

2 



8 

3 

5 



3 

9 





7 

2 





10 

20 7 

8 

16 6 

6 

4 

6 9 

20 

22 3 



Depth. 



Ft. in. 

68 8 

74 8 

76 8 

91 

93 

96 

96 

99 
113 
114 
116 
119 
120 
132 
142 
150 
169 
171 
176 
177 
184 
188 11 

204 4 

205 10 

208 10 

209 6 
213 6 
219 9 
223 9 
269 6 
275 6 
298 
307 10 
505 10 
510 5 
532 11 
562 2 
581 6 

583 10 

584 6 
588 
599 
661 
665 
704 
741 
751 
759 
775 
783 
798 
798 
800 10 
843 
853 
870 8 
896 11 
913 4 
929 4 
948 7 
955 4 
965 4 
976 4 
979 11 
999 1 

1001 1 

1006 1 

1006 11 

1027 6 

1035 

1052 

1058 

1062 

1068 

10SS 

1111 

1133 

1140 

1143 



288 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Fossils characteristic of the Claiborne group of the Eocene were ob- 
tained at 250 feet. A fragment of a turtle supposed to be of Upper 
Cretaceous age was obtained at 380 feet. On the basis of these fos- 
sils the contact between the Cretaceous and Eocene deposits is here 
placed tentatively between 250 and 380 feet. Diorite gneiss, encoun- 
tered at 1,140 feet, doubtless represents the rock of the crystalline 
basement on which the deposits of the Coastal Plain rest. The prob- 
able total thickness of Cretaceous strata penetrated is therefore 790 
feet. The Upper and Lower Cretaceous strata, both of which are be- 
lieved to be represented in the section, could not be differentiated. 

Wadley (population 872, census of 1910). — The town has no public 
water-supply system, but has about 15 artesian wells, owned by indi- 
viduals, which range in depth from 300 to 500 feet and flow 3 to 15 
feet above the surface. Although the waters are moderately hard 
and emit strong odors of hydrogen sulphide they are potable. An 
analysis of water from one of the artesian wells is given in Table 
46 (No. 4). McCallie 1 has published, on the authority of M. M. 
Caldwell, the following log of an artesian well at Wadley: 

Log of artesian well at Wadley. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Yellow clay 

Blue marl 

Sand 

Marl and limestone . 
Sand. 



Feet. 

60 

100 

2 

250 



Feet. 

60 

160 

162 

412 



Bartow (population 384, census of 1910). — Bartow is in the south- 
ern part of the county on a terrace plain a few feet above the swamp 
of Williamsons Swamp creek and 237 feet above sea level. The 
town has no system of waterworks, and water is obtained from arte- 
sian and shallow wells owned by individuals. The artesian wells 
range in depth from 160 to 525 feet and most of them flow small 
streams. They tap water-bearing strata in the Claiborne group (Mc- 
Bean formation) of the Eocene. McCallie 2 has published the fol- 
lowing log of a well at Bartow, prepared from memory by L. B. 
Clay, the driller: 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 126, 127, 1908. 2 Idem, pp. 127-128. 



JEFFERSON COUNTY. 289 

Log of deep well at Bartow (No. 2, Table 45). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Red, sandy clays 

Coarse gravel (?) 

Marl and sand (water bearing) 

Blue marl with an occasional layer of rock . . . 
Same as above, with sharks' teeth and shells. 



Feet. 
12 
40 
60 
250 
163 



Feet. 
12 
52 
112 
362 
525 



Spread (population 370, census of 1910). — Spread is in the northern 
part of the county on the Augusta Southern Railroad. Its exact 
elevation above sea level is not known but is thought to be approxi- 
mately 400 feet. The town owns an artesian well which, according 
to Mayor J. L. Denton, is 130 feet deep and taps a white water-bearing 
sand at the bottom. The water, which is soft but ferruginous, comes 
either from the base of the Claiborne group or from the upper part 
of the Cretaceous, and rises to within 16 feet of the surface. It is 
pumped to an elevated tank having a capacity of 1,300 gallons, from 
which it is distributed to the consumers. The system is, however, 
inadequate and furnishes only a portion of the domestic supply. (See 
Table 46, analysis 3.) 

Most of the water supply for domestic purposes is obtained from 
wells averaging about 30 feet in depth. 

Wrens (population 616, census of 1910). — McCallie 1 has published 
the following data concerning a well at Wrens: 

This well, which belongs to Mr. W. J. Wren, is located within a few hundred feet 
of the railway station. It is 4 inches in diameter and 556 feet deep, and it furnishes 
a maximum yield of 80 gallons per minute. The principal water-bearing stratum 
is at 525 feet from the surface, and the water rises to within 20 feet of the surface. 
It is used for general domestic and boiler purposes. This well was put down in 1897 
at a cost of $400. 

The well just described taps a water-bearing bed at 525 feet in 
Cretaceous strata that were probably entered at about 175 feet. (See 
Table 46, analysis 5.) 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 128, 1908. 
38418°— wsp 341—15 19 



290 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 45. — Wells in Jefferson County. 



No. 



Location. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 



A vera 

Bartow 

Louisville 

Louisville, 2 miles 

south of. 
Louisville, 3o miles 

southwest of. 
Louisville (old town) 
Spread 



Thos. S. Ivey John F. Brassell 



Louisville & Wadlev 
R. R.Co. 



Thos. S. Ivev... 
S. W. McCalliea. 

....do 

....do 



Feet. 
'""237 



Town . 



Wad ley . 
Wrens . . 



W.J.Wren. 



.do. 



do 

J. L. Denton, 
mayor, and Da- 
vid Denton. 

S. W. McCalliea... 

W. W. Burnham a. 



400 
243 



1897 



No. 



Depth. 



Diam- 
eter. 



Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 



Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 



Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 



Yield per 
minute. 



Flow. 



Pump. 



How obtained. 



Quality. 



Feet. 
54 

160-525 

350-450 

325 
1,143 
225? 
130 



Incites. 



Feet. 



Feet. 



300 
300 

'266' 



00 
225 
350 

200 



Feet. 
-52 



+ 7-10 



Pumped. 
Flows. . . . 



+20 



Both flowing and 

nonflowing. 
Flows 



525 



+28 
-16 



+3-15 



-20 



Flows 

Pumped; gasoline 

engine. 
Flows 



80 



Sulphurous; analysis 

2, Table 46. 
Sulphurous. 



Soft; analysis 3, 

Table 46. 
Hard, sulphurous; 

analysis 4, Table 

46. 
Aanalysis 5,Table 46. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 










?, 


Domestic, stock... 


McBean formation 

McBean formation? 
do 




3 or more wells in vicinity. See log, 

p. 289. 
5 wells in vicinity. See log, p. 286. 


S 




4 


Boiler supply of lo- 
comotives. 




5 




Oil-prospecting well. See log, p. 287. 


6 




McBean formation 
Cretaceous? 

McBean forma- 
tion? 

Cretaceous 




7 




Sand and gravel. . . 




8 


Domestic, boiler 
supply of loco- 
motives. 

Domestic, boiler 
supply. 


S450. 
Several wells. See log, p. 288. 


9 




Cost $400. 











a Georgia Ge'ol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 125-131, 1908. 



JENKINS COUNTY. 



291 



Table 46. — Analyses of under groxmd waters from Jefferson County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 



Date of 
collection. 



Source. 



Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 



Depth. 



Analyst. 



June 3, 1911 



Dec. 18,1912 
May 8, 1911 



Omaha Spring.. 
Well at the fair 
grounds. 

Town well 

Artesian well 



Well of W. 
Wren. 



J. 



Avera 

Louisville 

Spread... 
Wadley . . 

Wrens . . . 



Claiborne group. 

McBean forma- 
tion. 

Cretaceous? 

McBean forma- 
tion? 

Cretaceous 



130 
170-330 



Edgar Everhart. 
Do. a 

Do. 
Do. a 

Do. 



5.0 
39 
12 

13 

49 



0.4 
6 4.1 

8.0 
61.8 

2.0 



1.0 
33 

4.0 
57 

28 



1.0 
1.4 
1.0 
3.1 

1.0 



2.0 
3.1| 2.8 

6.0 
8.91 I ' 

12 



0.0 
47 
.0 
.0 

.0 



S3 



8.0 



102 



1.0 
9.4 
2.0 
11 

8.0 



4.0 



.2 



4.0 

S.2 
4.0 

4.7 

8.0 



20 
152 

58 
191 

178 



Remarks. 



PO<, 3.3 parts, well 3, Table 45. 

Well 7, Table 45. 

PO4, trace; free C0 2 , 13; well 8, 

Table 45. 
Total depth, 556 feet; well 9, Table 

45. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 125-127, 1908. 6 Fe 2 03+Al 2 03. 

JENKINS COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Jenkins County is in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Millen, the county seat, is 53 miles south of Augusta. The 
area of the county is 342 square miles and its population is 11,520 
(census of 1910) . Agriculture and the shipment of lumber and naval 
stores are the principal industries. A cotton-cloth factory and a few 
small manufacturing plants are located at Millen. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The greater part of the county is rolling to slightly hilly. West and 
northwest of Millen, however, the land is nearly level with a few lime 
sinks. Ogeechee River flows across the county and is bordered by a 
wide swamp and by a higher terrace plain. The known elevations at 
railroad stations are Millen, 158; Lawtonville, 225; Perkins, 252 (?); 
Paramore, 244; Scarboro, 157; Rogers, 162; and Herndon, 189. 
Some land in the eastern part of the county probably rises to 300 
feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

The surface terrane over the eastern and southern parts of the 
county consists of 50 feet or less of irregularly bedded, locally indurated 
sands and clays of undetermined but probably upper Oligocene age. 



292 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

These are underlain by the Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 
75 to 100 feet of sands and clays similar to and not easily discrimi- 
nated from the overlying deposits and which outcrops in the valley 
slopes of Ogeechee River and its tributaries. The formation contains 
water-bearing beds. 

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by limestones and marls 
which probably represent in descending order the Chattahoochee and 
Vicksburg formations of the Oligocene and the Jackson formation of 
the Eocene. The limestone that comes to the surface in an area of 
considerable extent northwest of Millen is mapped provisionally as 
Chattahoochee formation. The thickness of the limestones and marls 
is not known but probably amounts to not less than 250 feet. The 
limestones and marls, which are water bearing, supply shallow wells 
and are the source of several bold springs. The Claiborne group of 
the Eocene, which consists of 300 to 500 feet of sands, clays, and 
marls, underlies the undifferentiated limestones and marls of the 
Oligocene and upper Eocene; although the strata of the Claiborne 
group do not appear at the surface in the county they are abundantly 
water bearing and have been tapped by a dozen or more wells. 

The Claiborne group is underlain by a series of sedimentary deposits 
of Cretaceous age, probably 1,000 feet or more in thickness, and these 
in turn rest upon a deeply buried basement of ancient crystalline 
rocks. The Cretaceous deposits are water bearing and in the valley 
of Ogeechee River should yield strong flows. 

Thin terrace deposits of sand and clay of Pleistocene age border 
Ogeechee River and rest upon the older formations. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

In the rural districts water for domestic use is obtained principally 
from dug wells 20 to 60 feet deep. Small seepage springs are common 
and yield soft waters. A mineral analysis of the water of Jones 
Spring, a small seepage spring a mile east of Thrift, is given in Table 
48 (analysis 3). In the western part of the county there are a few 
bold limestone springs. Magnolia Spring, 6 miles north of Millen, 
yields several million gallons daily of hard sulphurous water. 

Artesians wells have been drilled at Millen, Rogers, Herndon, Per- 
kins, and Scarboro. Although artesian water can probably be 
obtained anywhere in the county at depths of 300 to 600 feet or more, 
the area of flowing wells will probably be restricted to narrow belts of 
lowland bordering Ogeechee River and Buckhead Creek. 



JENKINS COUNTY. 293 



LOCAL SUPPLIES. 



Milieu (population 2,030, census of 1910). — The public water sup- 
ply of Millen is derived from an artesian well, and several such wells 
are owned by individuals. The wells range in depth from. 320 to 565 
feet, and all of them flow 3 to 20 feet above the surface. Water- 
bearing strata, probably belonging to the Claiborne group, are 
encountered at depths of 260, 300, 390, and 444 feet. The yield from 
the 444-foot stratum is said to be approximately 100 gallons per 
minute. The artesian water emits a strong odor of hydrogen sul- 
phide and is moderately hard but clear and wholesome. (See Table 
48, analysis 1.) 

Perkins. — At Perkins there are three artesian wells, one of which, 
owned by Dr. W. E. Rushing, is 500 feet deep. The other two are 
about 300 feet deep. The principal water supply is from rock and 
sand at about 300 feet and the water rises to within 17 feet of the sur- 
face. An analysis of the water from Dr. Rushing's well is given in 
Table 48 (analysis 2) . Wells 20 to 60 feet deep and yielding soft 
waters are common. 

Herndon. — Herndon is on the terrace bordering Ogeechee River in 
the extreme western part of the county. Several fine artesian wells in 
the vicinity are from 200 to 500 feet deep. One well (No. 1, Table 47), 
owned by J. B. Jones and drilled in 1906, is 364.5 feet deep and flows 
360 gallons a minute; its static head is 40 feet above the surface. 
The following log has been prepared from a set of well borings fur- 
nished by H. F. Loyd, the driller, which are on file in the office of 
the United States Geological Survey (well No. 1306), and from the 
driller's log: ' 

Log of well of J. B. Jones, Herndon {No. 1, Table 4-7). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Not reported 

Soft white limestone with sand at base which yielded a flow of 10 gallons a minute 

Fine light-gray, loose calcareous sand 

Light bluish-gray , finely arenaceous, calcareous clay or marl, interbedded with thin layers 
of gray calcareous sandstone containing Bryozoa and numerous fragments of shells 

White sandy limestone, soft at bottom, with numerous fragments of shells; yielded a flow 
of 20 gallons a minute 

Coarse water-bearing sand containing much lignite and numerous invertebrates, includ- 
ing Dendrophyllia, Trigonoarca, Ostrea, Pecten, Venericardia -ptanicosta? , Cytherea 
perovata Conrad, Turritella 



Feet. 
40 
125 
25 

150 



Feet. 
40 
165 
190 

340 

347 

364.5 



The fossils from the lowest layer were identified by T. W. Vaughan, 
who correlates the containing bed with the Claiborne group of the 
Eocene and probably with the McBean formation of that group. 

The artesian water at Herndon is considered hard, but that of the 
shallow wells is soft. 

The following partial log has been prepared from well borings on 
file in the office of the United States Geological Survey (well No. 



294 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

1565), furnished by H. F. Loyd, taken from a well (No. 3, Table 47), 
owned by Mrs. E. Daniel, 5 miles north of Herndon. It is not known 
whether the samples represent the total depth of the well. 

Partial log of well of Mrs. E. Daniel, 5 miles north of Herndon (No. 3, Table 47). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Missing 

White sandy limestone with numerous fragments of shells 

Light bluish-gray fine, very calcareous sand or marl, partly indurated 

Mixture of fragments of white limestone (one showing dendritic growth), blue calcareous 
sandstone, quartz grains, and fragments of shells; recognized Bryozoa, Balanus, and a 
fragment of Turritella 



Feet. 
40 
95 
208 



Feet. 
40 
135 
343 



343 



Rogers. — At Rogers water is obtained from both shallow dug wells 
and deep artesian wells. McCallie 1 states that one well (No. 8, 
Table 47) is 351 feet deep and 4 inches in diameter and flows 80 gal- 
lons a minute; the water rises 24 feet above the surface. He pub- 
lished the following log of this well on authority of H. M. Loyd : 

Log of well at Rogers (No. 8, Table 47). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Blue clay 

Fine white sand 

B lue marl 

Black sand (water bearing) 

Blue marl and rock; last 50 feet soft rock 



Feet. 

5 

55 

120 

2 

169 



Feet. 
5 

60 
180 
182 
351 



Scarboro. — Scarboro is in the southeastern part of the county on 
the terrace bordering Ogeechee River, at an elevation of approxi- 
mately 157 feet above sea level. A well (No. 9, Table 47) owned 
by M. C. Sharpe, drilled in 1902, is 505 feet deep and yields water 
that rises to within 15 feet of the surface. McCallie 2 has published 
the following log : 

Log of well of M. C. Sharpe, Scarboro (No. 9, Table 47). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sand 

Blue marl 

Soft rock with cavities 

Hard rock at 200 feet extending to bottom of well 



Feet. 

4 

100 

40 

361 



Feet. 

4 

104 

144 

505 



1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 65, 1908. 

2 Idem, pp. 162-163,1908. 



JENKINS COUNTY. 

Table 47. — Wells in Jenkins County. 



295 



No. 



Location. 



Driller. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 



Herndon 

do 

Herndon (5 miles 
north of) . 

Millen 

Perkins." 

do 



J. B. Jones 

Mrs. E. Daniel. 



H. F. Loyd. 

do 

do 



H. F. Loyd 

S. W. McCaUieo... 
H. F. Loyd and 
E. Daniel. 



1906 



Feet. 
189 
189 



Rogers . . . 

do... 

Scaiboro . 



W. E. Rushing. 
J. A. Rodgers. .. 
W.M. Wadley.. 



H. F. Loyd. 
J. F. Loyd.. 



M. C. Sharpe. 



H.M.Lloyd. 
H. F. Loyd.. 



W. E. Rushing.. 

J. S. Lake 

Postmaster 

S. W.McCallieo 
doo 



1907 
1909 
1886 



157 
252 
252 
159 
159 
147 



Depth. 



Diam- 
eter. 



Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 



Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 



Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 



Yield per 
minute. 



Flow. 



Pump. 



How obtained. 



Quality. 



Feet. 
364.5 
300 
343? 

320- 
565 

500 
300 
410 
351 

505 



Incites . 
4 
2 



Feet. 

347 

300 



Feet. 
160 



300± 
300 



260 
300 
390 



330 
375 



180 
180 
300 



Feet. 
+40 
+ 14 
-30 

+3-20 

-17 
-17 

+ 18 
+ 24 

-15 



Galls. 

360 

30 



Galls. 



Flows. , 
....do. 



Flow. 



Steam engine. 

Flows 

do 



Hard. 
Soft. 

Analysis 1, Table 48. 

Analysis 2, Table 48. 
Hard. 
Do. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Claiborne group... 
. ...do 






9 




Porous limestone. . 


$475. See log, p. 293. 


3 




Jackson formation? 
Claiborne group. . . 

do 


Cost of well, $300. See log, p. 294. 


4 


D o m e s t ic and 
manufacturing. 


Rock 


5 


Rock and sand 


3-inch casing to 155 feet. Cost of w y ell, 


6 


Domesticand boil- 
er supply. 


do 


$250; of pump, $15. 
Cost of well, $250. 


7 


do 






8 
9 


do 

do 


do 

do 


Blue and marl rock 


See log, p. 294. 

Cost of well, $650. See log , p . 294. 











i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 6+65, 162, 1908. 



296 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Table 48. — Analyses of underground xvatcrs from Jenkins County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 












Feet. 




1 








Claiborne group . 


320-565 


Edgar Everhart.a 
Do. 


?, 


June 3. 1911 


Well of W. E. 
Rushing. 


Perkins . 




300± 










3 




Jones Spring ... 








Do. 






of. 






















<c 


s> 


<B 


a 




-o 


















o 




























■3 


•V 


O 


o 




> 






O 




"c? 
O 


a 




M 

Fi 


asO 


is 


■a 

03^. 


■3 . 


o 


o . 


Remarks. 


6 


3 


a 

o 


a 

'3 


CD 

a 


3 
■3 

o 
m 


03 
O 


a 
o 

c3 

o 


c3W 

s 




14 


o 

o 


Tig 

O 

EH 




1 


38 


61.2 


40 


3.6 


5.6 


2.4 




132 


11 




8.0 


175 


Wells 4, Table 47. 


2 


11 


.5 


64 


1.0 


4.0 


0.0 


183 


26 


0.2 


6.0 


200 


Total depth, 500 feet; well 5, Table 
47. 


3 


6.0 


.8 


2.5 


.6 


M 


.4 




28 


1.8 




8.9 


34 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 1.5, p. 160, 1908. b Fe2O 3 +Alo0 3 . 

JOHNSON COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Johnson County is in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Its area is 292 square miles and its population 12,897 (cen- 
sus of 1910). Agriculture is the principal industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The eastern part is gently rolling, the topography being that char- 
acteristic of the Altamaha upland or wire-grass section. The valleys 
are shallow, the slopes are low and gentle, and .the clear streams flow 
through broad swamps. The western part is drained by Oconee 
Kiver and is somewhat broken and hilly. 

No determinations of altitude have been made, but from estimates 
based on established altitudes at Dublin, Laurens County, and Oco- 
nee, Washington County, the level of Oconee River in Johnson 
County is thought to be 180 to 185 feet above sea level. The land 
on the divide between Oconee and Ohoopee rivers is probably 200 feet 
higher. 

geology. 

Sands, clays, and marls of the Claiborne group of the Eocene out- 
crop to the northwest in Washington County and underlie the entire 
area of Johnson County beneath the younger formations, with a prob- 
able aggregate thickness of 300 to 400 feet. The Claiborne group is 
overlain by the Jackson formation (Eocene), which consists of 100 feet 



JOHNSON COUNTY. 297 

or less of limestone interbedded with sandy layers and which outcrops 
in a small area in the northwest. The Jackson formation is overlain 
by 100 feet or less of limestone belonging to the Vicksburg formation 
(Oligocene), which outcrops in a small area in the northwest and prob- 
ably underlies the entire county. In the southern part of the county 
the Vicksburg formation is probably overlain by the sands and clays 
of the Alum Bluff formation (Oligocene), but these beds are not 
known to outcrop at the surface. 

Overlapping the Oligocene and Eocene formations and constituting 
the surface formation throughout all but a small area in the extreme 
northwest are irregularly bedded sands and clays of undetermined age. 
Beneath the Claiborne group and not appearing at the surface are 500 
to 800 feet of sands and clays of Cretaceous age, which at depths of 
1,000 to 1,200 feet or more rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline 
rocks. 

All the formations described doubtless contain water-bearing beds, 
but the Vicksburg formation, the Claiborne group, and the Cretaceous 
deposits are probably the most important aquifers. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The main sources of water supply are wells 20 to 40 feet deep, 
which yield soft waters. Small seepage springs are fairly common 
and there are a few bold limestone springs, but none are important 
as sources of domestic water supply. Deep wells have been drilled 
at Wrightsville, Idylwild, and Kite. 

Artesian water can be -obtained anywhere in the county at depths 
ranging from 100 to 1,000 feet or more. The prospects for obtaining 
flows on the lowlands bordering Oconee and Ohoopee rivers are good. 
Two flowing wells have been obtained at Idylwild on Ohoopee River, 
3 miles below Wrightsville, but one of them flows only intermittently. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Wrightsville (population 1,389, census of 1910). — The town of 
Wrightsville owns a water-supply system and derives water from an 
artesian well (No. 5, Table 49) which was completed in 1911. The 
well is 409 feet deep, 8 inches in diameter, and yields 132 gallons of 
water a minute by pumping. Two water-bearing beds were struck, 
one at 170 feet and the other at 409 feet; the water from the first 
rises to within 45 feet of the surface, and that from the second,which 
is probably in the Claiborne group, to within 40 feet of the surface. 

Slits were cut in the casing to admit water from the 170-foot 
stratum, so that the water used is a mixture from the two beds. 
An analysis of the mixed waters is given in Table 50 (analysis 2). 



298 UNDERGROUND WATERS OE COASTAL PLAIN OE GEORGIA. 

An abandoned well (No. 4, Table 49), formerly used by the town, 
located on the town square at a somewhat higher elevation than the 
new well, is 578 feet deep, and in it the water rises to within 62 feet 
of the surface. This well furnished only 30 gallons of water a minute, 
too little for the needs of the city. An analysis is given in Table 50 
(analysis 3). 

Idylwild. — Idylwild is a picnic resort on Ohoopee River, 3 miles 
south of Wrightsville. Two flowing wells have been obtained at 
this place, one 305 feet deep (No. 1, Table 49) and the other about 
100 feet deep (No. 2, Table 49). The principal water-bearing bed is 
at a depth of 100 feet, and the water rises to a maximum height of 
about 2 feet above the surface. According to D. R. Thomas, how- 
ever, the 305-foot well ceases to flow in October, the static head 
falling to 2 feet below the surface, and does not flow again until Feb- 
ruary or March. Mr. Thomas has furnished an analysis of the water, 
by J. M. McCandless. (See Table 50, analysis 1.) 

Kite (population 241, census of 1910).— A well (No. 3, Table 49) 
at Kite, owned by the town, is reported to be 180 feet deep and to 
contain water that rises to -within 165 feet of the surface. In wells 
sunk to greater depths in this part of the county the static head 
would probably be much nearer the surface. 

Table 49. — Wells in Johnson County. 



No. 



Location. 



Owner. 



Driller. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Idylwild, 3 miles 
south of Wrights- 
ville. 

....do 

Kite, 60 yards north- 
east of post office. 

Wrightsville (near 
courthouse). 

Wrightsville, Jj mile 
southeast of public 
square. 



D. R. Thomas. 



Town.. 

do. 

....do. 



do 

Postmaster. 



Hughes Specialty 
Well Drilling Co., 
Charleston, S. C. 



S. W. McCalliea 

Arthur Pew, consult- 
ing engineer Hughes 
Specialty Well 
Drilling Co! 



1S90 
1911 



No. 



Depth. 



Diam- 
eter. 



Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 



Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 



Level of 
water 

above or 
below 

surface. 



Yield 
per 

minute 

by 

pump- 
ing. 



How obtained. 



Quality. 



Feet. 
305 
100 
180 
578 
409 



Inches. 



Feet. 

100 

100 

180 

430, 57S 

170, 409 



Feet. 



Feet. 
+ 2to-2 
+ 2 
-165 

- 62 

- 40 



Galls. 



Flows. 



30 
130 



Air-lift pump. 



Analysis 1, Table 50. 



Analysis 3, Table 50 
Analysis 2, Table 50. 



o Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 131, 1908. 



JONES COUNTY; 
Table 49. — Wells in Johnson County — Continued. 



299 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 
do 




Ceases to flow in October and begins to 


?, 


. do 




flow again in February or March. 


3 


Domestic, etc 


Alum Bluff forma- 
tion. 
Claiborne group. . . 
do 






4 






5 


Municipal supply 




8-inch casing to 400 feet. Slits in casing 








admit water from the 170-foot stra- 
tum. Cost of well, SI ,800. 



Table 50. — Analyses of underground waters from Johnson County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 




Artesian well 

Town well 

Abandoned 
town well. 


Idylwild, 3 miles 
south of Wrights- 
ville. 

do 


Vicksburg for- 
mation? 

Claiborne group. 
do 


Feet. 
100 

170, 409 
430, 578 




2 
3 


Apr. 30,1911 


Edgar Everhart. 
H. C. White.a 























k 


<B 


» 


5 


o 




o 


-d 






6 




O 

s 


13 

1 

CD 


a o3 

C8|ZJ 


73 
03 

cbO 

as 

a 

o 


T3 
S3 
t-l ■ 

So 


o 

<D02 

,4 


o 

■d . 
OS'S 
uO 




03 
M 
r-i 

IS 03 
5 S 


> 
o . 


Remarks. 












•B 3 


,n 


S3 


p< 








































fc 


5 




C3 


S 


o m 

02 


03 

O 


PQ 


3 
03 


|Z5 


,4 

o 


> 


En 




1 


35 


61.0 


35 


0.8 


2.2 




87 


0.6 




3.0 






Total depth of well 305 feet. 
Phosphate radicle (P0 4 ) =0.1. 






















































Well 1, Table 49. 


2 


25 


4.0 


58 


2.0 


5.0 


0.0 


207 


Tr. 


0.2 


9.5 





226 


Slits in casing admit water from 
the 170-foot stratum. Well 5, 
Table 49. 


3 


13 


2.3 


62 


2.2 


5.4 


.0 


190 


15 




5.6 


41 


241 


Free carbon dioxide is present. 
Well 4, Table 49. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 131. 

JONES COUNTY. 
GENEEAL FEATURES. 



b Fe 2 03+Al20 3 . 



Jones County is located in the central part of Georgia on the border 
between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Its 
area is 377 square miles and its population 13,103 (census of 1910). 
Agriculture is the chief industry. 



TOPOGRAPHY. 



The southeastern part of Jones County, less than one-fourth the 
total area, lies in the Coastal Plain, the other three-fourths being 



300 UNDERGROUND WATERS OE COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

included in the Piedmont Plateau. The Coastal Plain area forms a 
part of the physiographic division of the fall-line hills. The surface 
is hilly, having been much dissected by the headwater streams of 
Commissioners and Big Sandy creeks. The maximum relief is prob- 
ably between 200 and 300 feet. The drainage is to Oconee River 
through its tributaries, Commissioners and Big Sandy creeks. 

GEOLOGY. 

Ancient crystalline rocks outcrop at the surface in the part of the 
county included within the Piedmont Plateau. Their upper surface 
slopes south and passes beneath the deposits of the Coastal Plain 
which form the surface materials in a relatively small area in the 
southeastern part of the county. These deposits are for the most part 
of Lower Cretaceous age and consist of coarse, irregularly bedded 
sands with subordinate clay lenses, the total thickness of which prob- 
ably does not exceed 100 feet. Overlapping the Lower Cretaceous 
deposits are small areas of sands and clays belonging to the Claiborne 
group of the Eocene, which occupy some of the ridges between the 
small streams. 

The Lower Cretaceous deposits are favorable in texture and com- 
position to the absorption and circulation of waters, but the small 
thickness attained by these deposits within the county limits pre- 
cludes the possibility of obtaining large quantities. However, 
sufficient amounts for domestic purposes are available at many 
places. 

WATER, RESOURCES. 

The area underlain by Lower Cretaceous deposits is relatively 
small and the greatest thickness of the Cretaceous strata probably 
does not exceed 100 feet. Consequently wells in the southeast more 
than 100 feet deep pass entirely through these deposits and enter the 
underlying basement crystalline rocks. J. R. Van Buren & Co., of 
Griswoldville, own a dug well 84 feet deep a mile north of the town, 
which yields a small amount of soft water from the Lower Cretaceous 
sands for general domestic purposes. Wells of a similar character 
are in use in other parts of this area. 

Mr. Van Buren has furnished a description of the materials pene- 
trated in the well just described. The log is given below: 

Log of iv ell of J. R. Van Buren & Co., 1 mile north of Griswoldville . 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sand, about 

White clay 

Red clay 

Silica sand, water bearing. 
White clay 



Feet. 

8 
(?) 
(?) 
(?) 

6 



Feet. 

8 
(?) 
(?) 

78 
84 



LAURENS COUNTY. 301 

Small springs in the Cretaceous area yield waters of good quality. 
Numerous small creeks and headwater branches furnish excellent 
water for stock and for making steam. 

As the Cretaceous strata in the southeastern part of the county 
probably do not exceed 100 feet in thickness, and as the topography 
of the region is such as to favor the rapid drainage of the beds, thus 
producing a low water table, only moderate supplies of water can be 
expected from this source. Little if any pressure is developed in 
the wells, and water from the Cretaceous beds in the area can scarcely 
be classed as artesian. 

LAURENS COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Laurens County is in the north-central part of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia. Dublin, the county seat and commercial center, is 45 
miles southeast of Macon. The area of the county is 806 square 
miles and the population is 35,501 (census of 1910). Agriculture 
is the principal industry, but the production of lumber and naval 
stores, though declining, is still important. Manufacturing plants at 
Dublin include cotton mills, fertilizer factories, cottonseed-oil mills, 
an ice factory, a furniture factory, and other small plants. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county presents two fairly well marked types of topography. 
The northern part falls within the physiographic division known as 
the Dougherty plain and is characterized by a nearly level surface 
underlain by limestones and marked by lime sinks. It differs in soil, 
native vegetation, and topography from the part of the county south 
of Dublin and south of the Wrights ville & Tennille Railroad, where 
the surface exhibits low gently rounded sand hills, broad shallow 
valleys, and other features characteristic of the northern border of the 
Altamaha upland (long-leaf pine and wire-grass section). 

Oconee River, which flows through the county, is bordered by 
narrow swamps and at higher levels by Pleistocene terraces, which in 
places are easily distinguishable. The city of Dublin is situated in part 
upon such a terrace. The Oconee is a so-called muddy-water stream 
while its tributaries in the county are small clear-water streams. 

Determinations of altitude have been made on Oconee River and at 
the stations on the Macon, Dublin & Savannah Railroad. (See list of 
elevations, pp. 44-51.) The altitude of the low-water stage of Oco- 
nee River at Dublin is 160.6 feet above sea level and the upland both 
east and west of the river rises 100 to 150 feet above this level. 



302 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Jackson formation (Eocene), which consists of 150 feet or 
more of limestones, outcrops in the extreme north and probably 
underlies the remainder of the county beneath younger formations. 
Limestones of the Vicksburg formation (Oligocene) overlie the 
Jackson formation and outcrop over much of the county north of 
Dublin and in the valley of Oconee River to a point about 10 miles 
below Dublin; they extend southward beneath younger formations 
beyond the southern limits of the county. The Vicksburg formation 
weathers to red or gray sands containing in places masses of flint. 
Undifferentiated limestones, probably representing the Vicksburg 
and Jackson formations, were penetrated in a well at Rentz between 
147? and 310.5 feet. 

In the southern part of the county the Vicksburg formation is 
overlain by sands and clays of undetermined thickness belonging to 
the Alum Bluff formation. These outcrop only in the valley of 
Oconee River. 

Overlapping the Alum Bluff and Vicksburg formations and extend- 
ing north from the southern boundary of the county, apparently as an 
overlap across more than half the county, are irregularly bedded 
sands and clays of undetermined but probably upper Oligocene age. 
The thickness of these beds probably does not exceed 100 feet and in 
most places is probably much less than this amount, and the maxi- 
mum combined thickness of the Vicksburg and Alum Bluff forma- 
tions probably does not exceed 200 or 250 feet. 

Terrace sands of Pleistocene age have been deposited in limited 
areas bordering Oconee Itiver. 

The Jackson formation is underlain by 400 or 500 feet of sands, 
clays, and marls belonging to the Claiborne group of the Eocene, but 
these beds do not appear at the surface within the county. The 
Claiborne in turn is underlain by perhaps 600 to 800 feet of sands and 
clays of Cretaceous age which rest upon a deeply buried surface of 
ancient crystalline rocks. 

The Vicksburg and Jackson formations, the Claiborne group, and 
the Cretaceous deposits are believed to be important aquifers. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug wells 20 to 60 feet deep are the main sources of water supply, 
but a few artesian wells have been drilled. 

The water of the shallow wells is soft, except in places in the north- 
ern part of the county where the wells penetrate calcareous layers in 
the Vicksburg or Jackson formations. The water of the artesian 



LAURENS COUNTY. 303 

wells thus far obtained is hard but is suitable for general domestic 
purposes. 

Small springs are fairly common but are not used extensively. 
(See analyses 2, 3, and 4, Table 52.) Parker Spring is near Lovett, 
and Rinehart Keystone Mineral Spring, locally reputed to possess 
therapeutic properties, is near Dudley. In the limestone areas there 
are several large springs. (See p. 304.) 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 
of 100 to 1,000 feet or more, and flowing wells are possible in the 
valleys at elevations not more than 70 feet above low-water level 
of Oconee River. 

In the southern part of the county the limestones of the Vicks- 
burg and Jackson formations are the most promising aquifers. 
Throughout the county the deeply buried Eocene and Cretaceous 
deposits are promising sources of artesian water. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Dublin (population 5,795, census of 1910). — According to McCallie x 
the municipal water supply of Dublin, the county seat, is obtained 
from several flowing artesian wells, 300 to 850 feet deep, on a terrace 
about 50 feet above low-water level of the river. 

One water-bearing stratum was encountered at 185 feet, probably 
in the Vicksburg formation, and another at 295 feet in either the 
Jackson formation or the Claiborne group of the Eocene. The water 
from the 295-foot stratum rises 30 feet above the surface. In one 
of the city wells the principal water-bearing bed is 375 feet, accord- 
ing to Mayor E. S. Orr. The water is hard, but has proved satis- 
factory for general domestic purposes. (See analysis 1, Table 52.) 
Several flowing wells are owned by individuals. 

Dexter (population 550, census of 1910). — The main sources of 
domestic water supply at Dexter are dug wells 20 to 60 feet deep, 
which tap the water-bearing gravels and sands beneath layers of 
clay. The town owns a. water-supply system, used chiefly for fire 
protection. The water is derived from a drilled well and is reported 
to be hard. 

Tingle. — At Tingle, a small station on the Wrightsville & Tennille 
Railroad 7 miles southwest of Dublin, a well owned by Jeptha 
Tingle is 242 feet deep and flows 20 feet above the surface. The 
water is derived from limestone, probably belonging to the Jackson 
formation. (See analysis 5, Table 52.) 

Rentz (population 275, census of 1910). — A well 310.5 feet deep, 
owned by the Rentz Lumber Co., has been drilled at Rentz. A 
sample said to represent the materials between 147 and 310.5 feet 
(sample on file in the office of the United States Geological Survey, 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 132-133, 1908. 



304 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

well No. 770) is a white, porous, fossiliferous limestone in which 
were recognized fragments of echinoids, Bryozoa, and Pecten per- 
planus Morton ? (identified by T. W. Vaughan) . The Bryozoa were 
examined by R. S. Bassler, who regards them as related to the 
bryozoan fauna of Jackson age (Eocene) obtained from limestones 
at Wilmington, N. C, but states that they may indicate either a 
Jackson or a Vicksburg age for the material. 

Limestone springs. — Well, Rock, and Wilkes springs, 9 to 14 miles 
south of Dublin, are the largest in the county. They are in the 
lowland on the west side of Oconee River at elevations not exceeding 
15 feet above the level of the river and are therefore subject to over- 
flow. The springs emerge from caverns in limestones and each 
probably yields more than a million gallons daily. Thundering 
Spring, about 12 miles northeast of Dublin, is a large limestone 
spring in which the level of the water continually rises and falls. 
An analysis of water from Lovett Spring, owned by L. P. Fordham, 
near Lovett, is given in Table 52 (analysis 3) . 

Table 51. — Wells in Laurens County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


1 


Dublin 


Sam Basbinski 


N. T. Bastick... 
John Carter 
H. F. Loyd 
M.D.Mikle,Arabi 


Mrs. N.T. Bastick. 




Feel. 


? 


do 


E. S. Orr, mayor. . . 


1896 
1905 
1910 


184 


3 




Rentz Lumber Co... 

Jeptha Tingle, 

R. D. 3, Dublin. 




4 


Tingle (7 miles south- 
west of Dublin). 


D. R.Thomas and 
Jeptha Tingle. 





No. 



Depth. 



Feet. 
290 
375 
310.5 

242 



Diam- 
eter. 



Inches. 



4*,2 
■---"• 



Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 



Feet. 



375 

"242' 



Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 



Feet. 



200, 280 
'"'226' 



Height 

of 
water 
above 

surface. 



Yield per 
minute. 



Flow. Pump. 



Galls. 



160 
"26' 



Galls. 



How obtained. 



Flows. 
Flows. 



Quality. 



Hard. 

Analysis 5, Table 52. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Jackson formation? 






? 






Cost of well, S800. 


3 




Jackson formation ? 
do 






4 




Limestone 













LEE COUNTY. 



305 



Table 52. — Analyses of underground waters from Laurens County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 




Well at munici- 
pal water-sup- 
ply plant. 

Rinehart Key- 
stone Mineral 
Spring No. 4. 

Lovett Spring, 
owned by L. 
P. Fordham. 

Parker Spring, 
owned by 0. 
W. Parker. 

Well of Jeptha 
Tingle. 


Dublin 


Jackson forma- 
tion? 


Feet. 

1S5-295 




9 


June 3,1911 
July, 1909 
Sept., 1909 
May 11,1911 




Do. 


3 




Vicksburg for- 
mation? 




Do. 


4 


Lovett, J mile 
southwest of. 

Tingle (7 miles 
south west of 
Dublin). 


Do. 


5 


Jackson forma- 
tion? 


220-242 


Do. 























CD 




o 


















































a 


o 








rt 


CD 


















Ti 


T3 




O 




03 


t> 










^ 


a 


^ 


M 


u 


t-i ^ 


T3 


■O . 




Cm 
° (J 


O . 






O 

3 


"a? 


03 

o 

a 


a 


03 

a 


a - 


o 


5d 

oW 


CD CO 
"of y ~' 


03^ 


O 

CO 


T3 o" 

a is 

03 c3 




Remarks. 






Pi 




a 






£2 




p. 


fH 






































£ 


3 


h-l 


03 
O 


§ 


o 

CO 


o 

p-l 


03 

o 


« 


DQ 


£ 


Q 


> 


o 




1 


20 


62.6 


68 


3.7 


6.6 


3.1 


0.0 


211 


17 


5.6 




231 


Free carbon dioxide (CC>2)= 






























64. 


2 


2.0 


.2 


8.0 


.5 


3. 


) 


.0 


29 


Tr. 


0.4 


4.0 




40 




3 


17 


.1 


50 


.2 


5.0 


.4 




144 


2.6 




5.0 




158 




4 


14 


.2 


1.5 


.8 


2.8 


.1 




10 


2.4 




4.4 




30 




5 


32 


1.5 


58 


3.0 


8. 


. 


.0 


203 


1.0 


Tr. 


5.0 




256 


Well 4, Table 51. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 132, 1908. & Fe20 3 +Al20 3 . 

LEE COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Lee County lies in the west-central part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Flint River forms the eastern boundary. Leesburg, the 
county seat, is 89 miles south of Macon and 24 miles north of Albany. 
The area of the county is 326 square miles and its population 11,679 
(census of 1910). Agriculture and the production of lumber and 
naval stores are the principal industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Lee County is in general nearly level. Lime sinks are numerous 
and are commonly shallow. They vary in size from those having a 
diameter of 50 feet to those covering 100 acres or more. Many of 
them contain water during either a part or all of the year, and some 
support a growth of cypress trees. In some of the sinks, which appear 
to be connected with underground streams, the level of the water 
has been known to rise or fall suddenly. The surface of the county 
is estimated to lie between 200 and 335 feet above sea level. 
38418°— wsp 341—15 20 



306 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Vicksburg formation (Oligocene), which appears at the surface 
throughout practically all the county, consists of 200 to 300 feet of 
impure, cavernous, water-bearing limestones, which weather at the 
surface to red sandy clays, or sands containing fragments and masses 
of flint. The thickness of the residual materials varies from place to 
place, but is usually great enough to supply shallow dug wells. 

Small areas of thin Pleistocene terrace deposits border Flint River. 

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by 200 to 300 feet of un- 
differentiated sediments of Eocene age, which contain important 
water-bearing beds. The Eocene deposits are in turn underlain by 
1,500 feet or more of sands, clays, and marls of Cretaceous age, also 
important for their contained artesian waters. At an unknown 
depth, probably between 2,000 and 3,000 feet, the Cretaceous deposits 
rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Water for domestic use is obtained chiefly from dug or bored wells 
30 to 90 feet deep, and from many artesian wells 160 to 900 feet deep. 
The dug and bored wells tap water-bearing beds in the Vicksburg 
formation, and although they commonly afford an abundance of 
water, the yield in some of them has been known to decrease during 
dry seasons. Limestone springs are fairly common, but none of large 
size have been reported, and none are of much importance as sources 
of water supply. 

The waters of creeks and ponds are suitable for stock and, being 
softer, are usually more satisfactory for boiler supply than the waters 
of artesian wells. 

Artesian water can be obtained at depths of 100 to 1,500 feet or 
more, and it is probably possible, by deep drilling, to obtain flowing 
wells throughout the greater part of the county. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Leesburg (population 705, census of 1910). — There are three pub- 
he and several private artesian wells at Leesburg. According to 
McCallie, 1 the earlier of the three public wells (No. 3, Table 53), 
drilled in 1893, is 540 feet deep and contains water that rises to within 
12 feet of the surface. (See analysis 2, Table 54.) Another well is 
at the town light plant (No. 4, Table 53) and is about 300 feet deep; 
it does not flow. Its Water is hard and differs somewhat in mineral 
character from that of the deeper well. (See analysis 3, Table 54.) 

J Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 133, 134, 1908, 



LEE COUNTY. 307 

Other deep wells at Leesburg, owned by individuals, range in depth 
from 160 to 750 feet; some are flowing wells and some nonflowing. 
Additional information is given by McCallie 1 as follows: 

W. M. Johnston's well, located on his plantation, 2| miles west of Leesburg, has a 
depth of 150 feet and furnishes a flow 6 feet above the surface. Two water-bearing 
strata are reported, but only the second stratum furnishes a flow. The well is 3 inches 
in diameter and flows about 18 gallons per minute. The flow is said to be somewhat 
reduced in dry seasons. 

The following record is furnished : 

[Log of W. M. Johnston's well, 2\ miles west of Leesburg (No. 7, Table 53).] 

Feet. 

Clay 0- 9 

Limestone 9- 13 

Cavity 13-24 

Marl : 24-104 

Limestone with flint 104-144 

Sand (water bearing) 144-150 

In addition to the well here described, Mr. Johnston also has three ether wells on 
his plantation, varying from 100 to 384 feet in depth, but none of these wells furnish 
a flow. The water is used only for general farm purposes. 

Smithville (population 574, census of 1910). — The public water sup- 
ply at Smithville is obtained in part from three artesian wells, one 
about 900 feet deep and each of the other two 370 feet deep. The 
900-foot well (No. 11, Table 53) flows, but the water is raised by a 
pump to a tank and thence distributed to the consumers. The water 
is clear, soft, and sulphurous, and is satisfactory for domestic use. 
In the 370-foot wells the water rises to within 25 feet of the surface. 
Two wells, each about 900 feet deep, owned by the Central of Georgia 
Railway Co. supply water used principally in the locomotive boilers. 
A description of one of the wells is given by McCallie 2 as follows : 

One of the railroad wells, which is 3 inches in diameter, attains a depth of 900 feet. 
Two water-bearing strata are reported in this well — one at 500 and the other at 900 
feet. Water rises 20 feet above the surface. It is used to supply the railroad water 
tank. The flow at the surface is about 50 gallons a minute. 

Mr. G. W.Warwick, the well contractor, has furnished the following partial record: 

[Log of Central of Georgia Railway Co.'s well at Smithville (No. 12, Table 53).] 

Feet. 

Clay and sand to 40 

Clay of various colors to 140 

Cavernous rock (?) to 240 

Blue clay with shells and sharks' teeth to 340 

Limestone 345 

Cavernous limestone with corals (?) 

At the bottom of the well the drill struck very hard rock that could not be pene- 
trated. 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 134,135, 1908. ■ Idem, p. 135, 



308 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Armena. — Arinena is a station on the Seaboard Air Line Railway 
in the southwestern corner of the county. The following description 
of deep wells at this place is given by McCallie : 1 

The deep wells at Armena, owned by Mr. I. P. Cocke, are three in number. They 
vary in depth from 290 to 450 feet. They are all nonflowing wells, and they were 
sunk chiefly to obtain water for plantation uses. The water rises to a varying height 
of from 24 to 68 feet of the surface. 

Mr. Cocke gives the following record of one of his wells: 

[Log of I. P. Cocke's well at Armena (No. 2, Table 53).] 

Feet. 

Blue clay 0-40 

Limestone 40-190 

Quicksand 190-250 ' 

Flint (?) 250-280 

Cavity from which water rises to within 25 feet of the surface . . . 280-290 

Adams. — Adams is a small station on the Central of Georgia Rail- 
way between Smithville and Leesburg. The water supply here is 
obtained from dug and drilled wells ranging in depth from 30 to 180 
feet. One well (No. 1, Table 53), owned by Mr. L. G. Council, is 
180 feet deep; the water in it stands within 15 feet of the surface. 

PJiilema. — Philema is a small station near Flint River on the Al- 
bany & Northern Railroad. In the vicinity of the town there are 
several artesian wells drilled for plantation use. A well (No. 9, 
Table 53) near the station is 124 feet deep and once flowed 15 feet 
above the surface, but now flows only 18 inches above it. The yield 
is affected by droughts and by periods of heavy rainfall. Lime- 
stone was struck at a depth of 40 feet. The water is said to be 
derived from a sand bed at the bottom. 

A well (No. 10, Table 53) on the Brown plantation at Philema 
Quarters, one-half mile west of Philema station, is 142 feet deep. 
When the well was completed the water rose above the surface, but 
it now stands 15 feet below the surface. The elevation of the mouth 
of the well is a few feet above that of the other wells just described 
in this vicinity. (See analysis 4, Table 54.) 

On the Starr farm (S. B. Brown plantation), a mile north of the 
station, there is a well (No. 8, Table 53) 114 feet deep which flows 6 
feet above the surface. Casing extends to 40 feet, at which depth 
limestone is said to have been encountered. The well is on the 
second river terrace about 50 feet above low-water level of Flint 
River. (See analysis 5, Table 54.) 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 136, 137, 1908. 



LEE COUNTY. 



309 



Table 53. — Wells in Lee County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 


1 




L. G. Council, Amer- 

icus. 
I. P.Cocke 




C. W. Scarborough 
S. W.McCallieo 




Feet. 










275 






Town 




do .. 


1893 


300± 
300 ± 


4 


do 


City light plant 




C. H. Beazley... 


5 


do 










300 ± 
300? 


6 


do 


Town 


J. J. Cocke 


E.B.Martin 

S. W.McCalliea . 


1905 


7 


Leesburg (2J miles 
west of). 

Philema (1 mile north 
of). 

Philema (near sta- 
tion). 

Philema (i mile west 
of). 


W. M. Johnston 


300? 


8 


S. B. Brown 








( b ) 


9 






do.. 




in 


S.B.Brown 




do 






ii 




G.W. Warwick . 


G. W. Warwick 
and S. W. Mc- 
Callie. a 

S. W. McCalliea 


1890 


332 


T> 


do 


Central of Georgia Ry 


332 















Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 


Quality. 




Flow. 


Pump. 


1 


Feet. 

180 

290-450 

540 

300 ± 

750 
165 
150 
114 
124 
142 
900± 

900 


Inches. 
6 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 

-15 

-24-68 

-12 


Galls. 


Galls. 


Hand pump 


Hard. 


9 










Hard; analysis 1, 

Table 54. 
Hard; analysis 2, 

Table 54. 
Hard; analysis 3, 

Table 54. 


3 


3 
3 












4 












5 












6 


3 
3 


165 

144-150 


150 


-20 

+ 6 
+ 6 

+ n 


18 


5 




Hard. 


7 


Flows 




8 


do. 


Analysis 5, Table 54. 


9 












.... do 


10 








-15 
+ 18 

+20 








Analysis 4, Table 54. 
Soft, sulphurous. 


11 


4 
3 


900 


350-400 
500 






Flows, but is 

pumped to tank. 

Flows 


n 


50 

















Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 




Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Domestic 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 




Cost of well, $180; cost of pump, $15. 

3 wells. See log, p. 308. 
Cost of well, $1,200. 


?, 




Cavity in rock 


3 


Domestic 


do 


4 




do :... 






5 










6 


Domestic, manu- 
facturing. 

Farm use 


Cretaceous? 

Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 
do 






7 




reported 100 to 700 feet deep, some 
of which flow 12 feet above surface; 
cost of well, $165; cost of pump, $20. 


8 






100 to 384 feet deep. See log, p. 307. 


9 




do 






10 




do 






11 


Municipal supply . 

Boiler supply of 
locomotives. 


Cretaceous 




Limestone from 330 to 470 feet; two 


12 


do 




other wells, each 370 feet deep ; owned 
by the town, were drilled in 1904; 
water rises to within 25 feet of the 
surface. 
See log, p. 307. Railway owns another 
similar well. 









a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 133, 137, 1908. 

& Elevation about 50 feet above low-water level of Flint River. 



310 UNDERGBOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 



Table 54. — Analyses of underground waters from Lee County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 



Date of 

collection. 



Source. 



Location. 



Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 



Depth. 



Analyst. 



Mar., 1909 
Mar. 30,1911 
....do 



Well of I. P. 

Cocke. 
Town well 

(drilled 1893). 
Well at city 

light plant. 
S. B. Brown 

(Quarters well). 
S. B. Brown 
(Starr farm 
well). 



Armena.. 
Leesburg. 
....do... 
Philema . . 
....do.... 



Eocene?. 

do... 

do... 



Vicksburg for- 
mation. 
do 



Feet. 
290+ 

540 

300± 

142 

114 



Edgar Everhart. o 

Db.o 
Edgar Everhart. 

Do. 

Do. 















































































o 


o 








o 




















■a 


■a 




o 




T3 


> 




6 




a" 


"o? 
O 


a 


Is 


a 

3 
03 

o 

Ph 


03 

0>O 


03 

56 


•a 

03^ 




O 


03 

*-< . 

©C 


o . 

«!2 


6 


03 
O 

5 


a 
o 


1 

a 

< 


a 

'3 
o 


CD 

a 

03 


a 

-3 

o 


a 

o 

k. 
03 

o 


03 
O 

s 


"oj w 

■a 

p, 

"3 
m 


©w 

H 

J-t 


.3 

o 

S 
o 


o3 Ph 

P- 

o 

A 

Ph 


-og 

"ol 
o 


1 


9.2 


62.1 




60 


0.7 


1.9 


0.7 




183 


5.9 




6.3 




174 


2 


3.5 


66.2 




26 


3.4 


27 


5.0 




151 


13 




5.2 




195 


3 


18 


.5 


0.5 


54 


1.2 


2.9 


.3 




148 


3.1 




3.0 




169 


4 


13 


12 




49 


2.0 


4 





0.0 


178 


2.0 


0.2 


3.6 


0.1 


177 


5 


12 


1.5 




44 


3.2 


2 


9 


.0 


166 


4.8 


2.5 


3.0 




167 



Remarks. 



Free carbon dioxide 
(C0 2 )=22; well 2, 
♦ Table 53. 
Well 3, Table 53. 
Well 4, Table 53. 
Well 10, Table 53. 
Well 8, Table 53. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 133, 134, 136, 1908. 

LIBERTY COUNTY. 



b Fe 2 03+Al 2 03. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 

Liberty County, the third largest county in the State, is on the 
coast in the eastern part of the Coastal Plain. Its area is 936 square 
miles and its population is 12,924 (census of 1910). The production 
and shipment of naval stores and lumber are the principal industries, 
but farming is carried on to an important extent in the north. A large 
roofing-tile factory at Ludowici is the only important manufacturing 
establishment. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is divisible into three physiographic parts: (1) A nearly 
level marine terrace plain (the Satilla), which extends 15 to 20 miles 
inland from the coast and lies 10 to 25 feet above sea level; (2) a 
sand-covered plain (the Okefenokee), which lies 60 to 100 feet above 
sea level and parallels the first plain, the two being separated by a 
low escarpment which is easily recognizable in the vicinity of Wal- 
thourville and Hinesville; and (3) a small area of level to slightly 
rolling land (the Altamaha upland), in the west near the Tattnall 
County line, which is, for the most part, more than 100 feet above sea 



LIBERTY COUNTY. 311 

level and is better drained than the lower plains just described. The 
county is dotted with small cypress and gum swamps. 

Altamaha River, which forms the southwestern boundary of the 
county, is bordered by a wide swamp limited on the east by a low 
sand ridge. East of the sand ridge there is an area of low, flat, clay 
land subject to overflow during very high water stages of the river. 
Bordering the coast are numerous islands separated from each other 
by a network of short tidewater creeks and rivers. Salt-water 
marshes and tidewater swamps cover considerable areas on the islands 
and on the adjacent mainland. The streams have shallow valleys 
and the creeks and branches flow sluggishly or spread out through 
swamps which border their courses. Geologically the whole land 
surface is of relatively recent origin and has been only slightly 
affected by stream erosion or other destructive processes. 

GEOLOGY. 

White or yellow sands and subordinate clays or silts, of Pleistocene 
age, cover the surface from the coast inland to a few miles west of the 
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Their maximum thickness is believed 
to be less than 50 feet, and over most of the area they are much thin- 
ner. They are the source of some of the waters obtained in shallow 
dug and driven wells. Throughout the remainder of the county in the 
west, irregularly bedded sands and clays of undetermined geologic age, 
whose aggregate thickness probably does not exceed 50 or 75 feet, 
appear at the surface and supply waters to shallow dug or driven 
wells. 

A series of undifferentiated Tertiary deposits underlies the sur- 
ficial deposits. In their upper 400 or 450 feet these deposits consist of 
sands, greenish or drab sandy clays, with subordinate layers of lime- 
stone, phosphatic sand, or sandy shell marl and gravel, and probably 
include representatives of the Pliocene, the Miocene, and the Alum 
Bluff formation of the Oligocene. Below them lies 800 to 900 feet or 
more of soft limestones interbedded with layers of sand and shell marl, 
probably representing the Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations 
of the Oligocene and the Jackson formation of the Eocene. The 
limestones are followed by sands which extend to a depth of about 
1,900 feet (see section of well at Doctortown, Wayne County, p. 453), 
below winch nothing definite is known concerning the deposits. It 
is believed, however, that the Tertiary deposits are underlain by a 
considerable thickness of sediments of Cretaceous age, and that at 
some unknown depth, perhaps 3,000 feet or more, the Cretaceous 
deposits rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. The 
Tertiary deposits and probably also the Cretaceous deposits contain 
important water-bearing beds. 



312 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Throughout the county dug or driven wells, 10 to 30 feet deep, are 
the main source of domestic water supply. Artesian wells have been 
drilled at or near Ludowici, Donald, Allenhurst, Flemington, Rice- 
boro, Dorchester, Arcadia, and on St. Catherines Island. There are a 
few small seepage springs in the northern part of the county. An 
analysis of water from one such spring, owned by T. J. Harrington, 
near Donald, is given in Table 56 (analysis 3). 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,000 
feet or more. Flowing wells are believed to be possible at all places 
less than 75 feet above sea level. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Ludowici (population 541, census of 1910). — Driven wells 20 to 30 
feet deep are the principal source of water for domestic use at Ludo- 
wici, but there are also three artesian wells, one owned by the town 
and two by individuals. The public well (No. 8, Table 55), drilled in 
1907, is near the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad station 71 feet above 
sea level. The well is 589 feet deep and the principal water-bearing 
bed is said to be a shell marl at the bottom. Originally the water rose 
to the surface, and in order to obtain a natural flow a shallow basin 
was excavated about the casing; however, in 1909 the static head had 
decreased to 5 feet below the surface and the flow ceased. The water 
emits a distinct odor of hydrogen sulphide and its content of iron is 
rather high; it is, however, suitable for general domestic purposes. 
An analysis is given in Table 56 (analysis 2). The following is a 
partial log: 

Partial log of town well at Ludowici {No. 8, Table 55). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Red sand 

Blue clay 

Gray sand 

Sandstone 

Sand 

Blue clay 

Blue rock 

Sand 

Blue clay 

Sand (shells and teeth at 260 feet) 

Blue and white clay 

Gray sand 

Greenish clay and sand 

Not reported 

Marl 



Feet. 

40 

60 

5 

1 

2 

1 

2 

39 

15 

95 

40 

10 

30 

(?) 

(?) 



Feet. 
40 
100 
105 
106 
108 
109 
111 
150 
165 
260 
300 
310 
340 

(?) 

(?) 



589 



An artesian well (No. 9, Table 55) at the roofing-tile factory of the 
Ludowici-Celadon Co. is 607 feet deep. The water from the principal 



LIBERTY COUNTY. 



313 



water-bearing bed rises to within 7 feet of the surface. The mouth 
of the well is about 3 feet higher than that of the public well, but 
probably draws from the same water-bearing beds. A water-bearing 
shell marl was found at 300 feet, from which the water rose to within 
25 feet of the surface. A fossil fecten resembling P. sayanus was 
obtained from the 300-foot stratum, which suggests that the bed 
belongs to the Alum Bluff formation. 

Donald. — Two deep wells (Nos. 3 and 4, Table 55) have been 
drilled near Donald, a small town on the Georgia Coast & Piedmont 
Railroad, 10 miles northwest of Ludowici. W. J. Floyd, the well 
contractor, has furnished the following logs and other detailed 
information concerning these wells: 

Log of well of S. H. Howard, 3 miles southeast of Donald (No. 3, Table 55). 



Thick- 
ness. 


Depth. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


2 


2 


10 


12 


5 


17 


14 


31 


37 


68 


2 


70 


31 


101 


6 


107 


35 


142 


12 


154 


6 


160 


24 


184 


14 


198 


23 


221 


3 


224 


22 


246 


36 


282 


24 


306 


10 


316 


18 


334 


21 


355 


14 


369 


25 


394 


8 


402 



Soil 

Hard red clay 

Sandy clay 

Sand 

Clay 

Sand 

Chalky clay 

Hard blue pipe clay 

Sand and coarse gravel 

Dark marl 

Salmon-colored clay 

Fine sand 

Coarse sand 

Soft rock 

Hard flint 

Hard pipe clay 

Hard marl 

Fine sand 

Hard marl 

Soft rock 

Coarse sand, water bearing 

Hard rock 

Soft porous rock, water bearing 
Hard fine rock like soapstone . . 



Log of well of T. J. Harrington, 1 mile south of Donald (No. 4, Table 55). 
[Elevation of curb 12 feet below Georgia Coast & Piedmont R. R. track at Donald.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Alternating layers of clay, sand, and gravel 

Hard rock 

Clay (streaked) 

Sand with thin layers of rock 

Hard sandstone 

Hard grayish stone 

Hard whitish flint 

Soft rock 

Hard r ock 

Soft i u'ck 

Hard rock 

Soft rock 

Soft marl 

Soft rock 

Porous rock, water bearing 

Marl and layers of hard whitish rock 

Hard rock 

Rock with large pockets containing water. 



Feet. 

400 

9 

5 

13 

7 

13 

4 

4 

19 

9 

3 

25 

16. 

23 

8 

60 

22 

20 



Feet. 
400 
409 
414 
427 
434 
447 
451 
455 
474 
483 
486 
511 
527 
550 
558 
618 
640 
660 



314 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Allenhurst. — A well (No. 1, Table 55) owned by the Byers-Allen 
Lumber Co. at Allenhurst, 12 miles east of Ludowici, completed in 
1909, is 546 feet deep and 10 inches in diameter. It flows 800 gallons 
a minute 8 feet above the surface. The water is sulphurous and is 
used for domestic purposes and for boiler supply at a large lumber 
mill. A log of the well has been furnished by the Hughes Specialty 
Well Drilling Co., of Charleston, S. C. 

Log of well of Byers-Allen Lumber Co., Allenhurst (No. 1, Table 55). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Clay 

Clay and sand layers 

Fine sand 

Coarse sand and gravel (water) 

Fine sand and marl a layers 

B lue marl a 

Marl and sand 

Coarse sand 

Alternating marl and sand 

Marl and rock 

Rock, medium hard, small flow 

Marl and sand 

Rock and marl 

Marl and sand 

Limestone, flow increased 

Shell formation; flows 800 gallons a minute from depth of 500 feet. 
Not reported 



Feet. 
20 
20 
10 
20 
30 
30 
20 
20 
130 
40 
20 
40 
20 
20 
40 
20 
46 



Feet. 

20 

40 

50 

70 

100 

130 

150 

170 

300 

340 

360 

400 

420 

440 

480 

500 

546 



(i All the strata called "marl" are probably clay. 

Flemington. — There are several flowing wells near Flemington. 
A well (No. 7, Table 55) owned by A. G. Caison, a mile east of the 
post office, is 181 feet deep and flows a small stream 6 feet above the 
surface. A sample of water was analyzed for comparison with the 
water of the deeper well at Ludowici. (See Table 56, analysis 1.) 

St. Catherines Island. — Six artesian wells on St. Catherines Island, 
five of which flow, are used for general domestic and plantation 
purposes. The wells are less than 500 feet in depth and furnish 
strong flows. Their static head is said to be slightly affected by the 
tides. 1 

W. J. Floyd, the driller, has furnished information regarding a 
well (No. 12, Table 55) drilled in 1909, at the south end of the island, 
6 feet above sea level. This well is 438 feet deep, is cased to 230 
feet, and flows 60 gallons a minute. Its static head is 42 feet above 
the surface. 

Log ofivell on St. Catherines Island (No. 12, Table 55). 



Sand 

Coarse sand and gravel with shells 

Sand 

Greenish marl 

Grayish marl 

Marl and layers of soft rock with first flow at 398 feet 

Marl and layers of rock; flow at 432 feet 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 139, 1908 



Thick- 
ness. 



Feet. 
38 
3 
189 
80 
75 
13 
40 



Depth. 



Feet. 
38 
41 
230 
310 
385 
398 
438 



LlfeEKTY COUNTY. 



315 



Other localities. — Flowing wells are the chief source of water supply 
at Eiceboro, Dorchester, and Arcadia. At each place the wells 
are less than 500 feet deep and yield strong flows of moderately 
hard water emitting an unpleasant odor of hydrogen sulphide. 
(See Table 55.) 

Table 55. — Wells in Liberty County. 



Driller. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 



tion 
above 



level. 



Allenhurst . 



Byers-Allen Lum- 
ber Co. 



Arcadia 

Donald, 3 miles 
southeast of. 

Donald, 1 mile south 

of. 

Dorchester 

Dorchester, 2 miles 

west of. 

Flemington 

Ludowici 

do 

Riceboro 

Riceboro, 1 mile 

northeast of. 
St. Catherines Island 



Town 

S. H. Howard. 



Hughes Spe- 
cialty Well 
Drilling Co., 
Charleston, 
S. C, J. R. 
Connelly , 
driller in 
charge. 



Hughes Spe- 
cialty Well Drill- 
ing Co., Charles- 
ton, S. C. 



Feet. 
+10 



T. J. Harrington. 



W. P. Wait. 
....do 



W. J. Floyd, R. 
F. D. 2, Sa- 
vannah. 

do 



Driller. 



.do. 



1913 
1912 



S. W. McCalliea. 
....do 



A. G. Caison. 
Town 



F. L. Perry 

J. W. Wiggins . 



Ludowici - Celadon 

Co. 
Seaboard Air Line 

Ry- 
A. E. Winn 



J. W. Wiggins and 
R. L. Home. 



1907 



+ 71 
+ 74 



S. W. McCallie <*. 



J. Raner . 



W. J. Floyd. 



do 

W.J.Floyd. 



+ 6 



Depth. 



Diam- 
eter. 



Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 



Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 



Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 



Yield per 
minute. 



Flow. 



Pump. 



How obtained. 



Quality. 



Feet. 
546 
225 
402 

660 
470 
450 
181 



607 
460? 
430? 
438 



Inches. 
10 



Feet. 



Feet. 
150 



223 
369-394 



640-660 



334-355 
550-558 



Feet. 
+ 8 
+20 
-14 

-11 



Galls. 
800 
50 



Galls. 



120 



181 

589? 
592? 
450? 
350? 
398-438 



300 
350 
350 



+30 
+ 6 



- 5 

- 7 



100 

1,200 

2 



Flows 

do 

Suction pump and 
gasoline engine. 

do 

Flows 

do 

do 



+ 42 



Flows. 

do. 

do. 



Hard and sulphur- 
ous. 
Hard. 



Sulphurous; analy- 
sis 1, Table 56. 
Analysis 2, Table 56. 



Hard. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 137-139, 1908. 



316 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 55. — Wells in Liberty County — Continued. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Manufacturing, 
domestic. 




Limestone and 
shell marl. 


See log, p. 314. 


2 


do 


3 




do 


Porous rock 

Soft porous rock . . . 


6-inch casing to 165 feet; 4-inch casing 


4 


do . . 


do 


to 243 feet; 21-inch casing to 363 feet. 
Cost of well, . f 900; of machinery, $325. 
See log, p. 313. 
8-inch casing to 200 feet; 6-inch casing 
to 409 feet; 4-inch casing to 550 feet. 
Cost of well, $1,600; of machinery, 
$275. See log, p. 313. 


5 




do 


6 




do 






7 




do 




3-inch casing to 72 feet. 
See log, p. 312. 


g 




do 




9 




do 


10 




....do 






11 




....do 






12 




do 


Marl and layers of 
rock. 


3-inch casing to 230 feet. Cost of well, 








$450. 



Table 56. — Analyses of underground waters from Liberty County. 
[Parts per million.] 



Silica (Si0 2 ) 

Iron(Pe) 

Aluminum ( Al) 

Calcium (Ca) 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Sodium (Na) 

Potassium (K) 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) . 
Sulphate radicle (SO^). . . . . . 

Nitrate radicle (NO3) 

Chlorine(Cl) 

Total dissolved solids 



28 
6.0 



16 
4.0 

54 

1.2 
202 

7.0 
.0 

5.0 
236 



28 

14 

20 

2.0 
195 

7.0 
Trace. 

3.5 
240 



8.5 
3.5 

.2 
2.0 
1.6 
4.7 

.4 



8.7 
41 



1. Well No. 7, Table 55. Sample collected May 5, 1911. Edgar Everhart, analyst. 

2. Well No. 8, Table 55. Sample collected Apr. 8, 1911. Edgar Everhart, analyst. 

3. Spring of T. J. Harrington, near Donald (10 miles northwest of Ludowici). Water from undifferen- 
tiated surficial deposits. Edgar Everhart, analyst. 

LOWNDES COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 

Lowndes County is in the south-central part of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia and is one of the tier of counties bordering Florida. Its 
area is 482 square miles and its population 24,436 (census of 1910). 
The shipment of lumber and naval stores are important industries. 
Cotton goods, fertilizers, and other products are manufactured at 
Valdosta. Sea-island cotton is the most important agricultural 
product. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The northern part of the county is, in general, a nearly level plain, 
on which are numerous cypress ponds. In the south the surface is 
nearly level to slightly undulating. Lime sinks are numerous, some 



LOWNDES COUNTY. 317 

of them being dry and others holding ponds and lakes, the waters of 
which are clearer than the waters of the streams. Ocean Pond, one 
of the largest of the few lakes of the State, has an area of 5 to 6 square 
miles. The county is bounded on the west by Withlacoochee River 
and is partly bounded on the east by Alapaha River. These streams 
have cut their beds 75 to 100 feet below the upland plain on which 
Valdosta is located, and are bordered by two low, sand-covered terrace 
plains, the lower of which lies 10 to 15 feet and the upper 30 to 40 feet 
above low-water level. 

The known altitudes above sea level are Valdosta 218, Naylor 195, 
and Ousley 151 feet on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad; Dasher 
185, Lake Park 167, Melrose 154, State Line 161, Mineola 220, and 
Hahira 236 feet on the Georgia Southern & Florida Railway; Withla- 
coochee River water level 124, bridge level 140 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Chattahoochee formation (Oligocene), which consists of 150 
feet or more of porous, cavernous, water-bearing limestones, outcrops 
on Withlacoochee River, in the southern part of the county, and 
underlies the entire county beneath younger formations. The 
Chattahoochee formation is overlain by 50 to 150 feet of greenish 
sands and sandy clays belonging to the Alum Bluff formation (Oligo- 
cene), which outcrops in the southern part of the county and in the 
valleys of Withlacoochee and Alapaha rivers and their tributaries, 
and which locally contains water-bearing beds. Over the greater part 
of the county north of the latitude of Lake Park the Alum Bluff 
formation is overlain by 75 feet or less of irregularly bedded sands and 
clays of undetermined but possibly upper Oligocene age. Terrace 
sands of Pleistocene age have been deposited in narrow areas border- 
ing Withlacoochee and Alapaha rivers. 

The limestones of the Chattahoochee formation are believed to be 
underlain by similar water-bearing limestones referable to the Vicks- 
burg formation (Oligocene), but the two formations have not been 
accurately discriminated in the county. However, fossils of Vicks- 
burg age have been obtained in wells at Valdosta between the depths 
400 and 480 feet. (See p. 319.) 

Beneath the Vicksburg formation in descending order is a series of 
undifferentiated sediments of Eocene and Cretaceous age, which at an 
unknown depth, perhaps 3,000 feet or more, are believed to rest upon 
a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. These sediments contain 
important water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Shallow dug, driven, and bored wells 15 to 75 feet deep are the chief 
source of domestic water supply in the county. All except a few 



318 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OE GEORGIA. 

wells near the Florida line which penetrate limestones yield soft 
waters. Where only a small amount of water for domestic use is 
required wells of the driven type are preferable to wells of the other 
types, for they afford less opportunity for contamination from sur- 
face sources. Artesian wells have been drilled at and near Valdosta. 

There are a few small springs in the county. The waters of the 
streams, ponds, and lakes are suitable for stock and for boiler sup- 
plies. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 
of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. Wells 500 feet or more in depth on the 
terrace plains bordering Withlacoochee and Alapaha rivers will prob- 
ably flow. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Valdosta (population 7,656, census of 1910). — Valdosta owns a 
public water-supply system which obtains water from an artesian 
well (No. 1, Table 57), completed in 1900, 500 feet deep and 8 inches 
in diameter. The water, which rises to within 120 feet of the sur- 
face, is pumped at the rate of about 300,000 gallons daily. It is hard 
but has proved satisfactory for general domestic purposes. (See 
analysis 1, Table 58.) 

McCallie 1 has published the following log: 

Log of town well, Valdosta (No. 1, Table 57). 



Thick- 
ness. 


Depth. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


2 


2 


20 


22 


50 


72 


8 


80 


37 


117 


59 


176 


32 


208 


52 


260 


100 


360 


140 


500 



Surficial sand 

Yellow sand 

Sand and gravel - 

Blue marl 

Soft coral rock 

Sandy clay, often indurated and phosphatic 

Rather compact, brownish-gray limestone containing minute grains of transparent quartz 

sand 

White porous limestone, water bearing 

Same as above, with fragments of sea urchins .- 

AVhite porous limestone, water bearing 



The limestones in the upper part of the well probably belong to the 
Chattahoochee formation and those in the lower part to the Vicks- 
burg formation. 

McCallie 2 describes a well (No. 2, Table 57) drilled by the town in 
1893. Analyses of waters from different levels are given in Table 58 
(analyses 2, 3, and 4). 

From a set of well borings on file in the office of the United States 
Geological Survey (well No. 915), probably obtained from the town 
well drilled in 1893, the following partial log has been prepared. The 
Foraminifera were determined by J. A. Cushman. 

i Georgia Geo!. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 140, 141, 1908. 2 Idem, p. 140, 



LOWNDES COUNTY. 319 

Partial log of well at Valdosta (No. 2, Table 57). 

[Drilled by J. A. Durst; samples furnished by L. C. Johnson.] 

Feet. 

Light-gray argillaceous sand and chunks of white clay at 48 

Fragments of brown flint at 87 

Chunks of chocolate-colored sandy silicified clay, white sand- 
stone, and numerous fairly well rounded quartz pebbles up to 

one-half inch in longest dimension 88-90 

Fragments of white sandy limestone and gray flint 117-122 

Chunks of white silicified clay or claystone — some showing den- 
dritic growths — and fragments of flint 123-125 

Fragments of white limestone 130-132 

Fragments of white sandy limestone, white silicified calcareous 

clay, and one fragment of flint 133-139 

Fragment of white calcareous, sandy claystone at 153 

Fragments of white sandy calcareous clay and rounded chunks of 

gray limestone 212-214 

Small fragments of white limestone and gray flint 240-241 

Large fragments of dark-gray flint and white limestone 247-250 

Fragments of white sandy limestone, echinoid tests and spines, 

etc 311-350 

Fragments of white fossiliferous limestone and flint; small flat 

echinoids, fragments of pelecypods, gastropods, etc 360-416 

White limestone, containing numerous small Nummulites, Dis- 

pansus sp., a few small echinoids, etc 400-416 

Same as preceding, containing Nummulites and Orbitoides 430-450 

Same as preceding, containing Nummulites and Orbitoides, one 

fairly large Orbitoides cf . . ephippium (Schloth), at 459 

Fragments of brown magnesian x limestone 476-477 

Fragments of white limestone, brown magnesian limestone, small 
echinoids, Nummulites, Orbitoides (2 species), and fragments of 

pelecypods and gastropods, at 477J 

Same as preceding, containing Nummulites and Orbitoides at 480 

Fragments of brown magnesian limestone 487-491 

Same at 493 

Same 502-522 

According to T. W. Vaughan, a few fragments of fossils taken 
between 400 and 480 feet include Numniulites and indicate the Vicks- 
burg age of that part of the section. Probably 280 to 300 feet of the 
section, up to and including the white limestone at 240 to 241 feet, 
should be referred to this formation. 

At and near Valdosta many wells owned by individuals range in 
depth from 80 to 550 feet. Large quantities of water are obtained 
from porous aud cavernous limestones. 

A well (No. 3, Table 57) owned by J. B. Jones, completed in 1909, on 
the upland 2 miles northwest of Valdosta about 100 feet above Withla- 
coochee River is 226 feet deep. The water stands within 38 feet of 
the surface. The static head indicates that flows can be obtained 
at lower elevations in the valley to the west. 

i The magnesian character of this limestone was determined by W. F, Hunt of the U. S. G-eol. Survey. 



320 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 57. — Wells in Loivndes County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


l 








Hughes Specialty- 
Well Drilling 
Co. and S. W. 
McCallie. <* 

do 


1900 

1893 
1909 


Feet. 
215 


? 


do... 


do 


J. A. Durst 


215 


T 


Valdosta (2 miles 
northwest of)- 




L. C. Solomon. . 


J. B. Jones 


( 6 ) 









Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
below 
surface. 


Yield per min- 
uteon pumping. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
500 

522 

226 


Inches. 
8 

2 


Feet. 
360-500 

515 

225 


Feet. 
260 

460 

125 


Feet. 
120 

113 

38 


Galls. 


Galls. 
200 




Analysis 1, Table 

58. 
Analyses 2, 3, and 4. 

Table 58. 
Hard. 


o 




3 




12 


Gasoline engine. . . 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 

9 


Drinking and do- 
mestic. 

Domestic 

Domestic and 
boiler supply. 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 
do 

Chattahoochee for- 
mation? 


Porous limestone . . 
do 


See log, p. 318. 

Cost of well, 81,600. See log, p. 319. 
3-inch casing, 103 feet; diameter below 

casing is 2 inches. Cost of well and 

machinery, $509. 


3 


Cavity in rock 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 139-141, 1908. 

6 Elevation about 100 feet above the bed of Withlacoochee River. 



Table 58. — Analyses of underground waters from Loivndes County. 
]Parts per million.] 



No. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 




Valdosta 


Vicksburg formation?. 
do 


Feet. 

360-500 

360 

460 

515 




? 




do 


H. C. White." 


3 


.do... 


do 


do 


Do. a 


4 


do 


do 


do 


Do. <* 





























<b 


a 


o 




o 


■d 




















o 


o 


















^ 










Ti 


Tb 






03 


l> 






O 
m 




< 

a 

3 

5 


"o? 
o 

a 




a 


M 

a" 
.1 


3 




03^, 

<cco 


3 

CD 


°^ 

AS 
03 03 

50 


o . 

'-31 


Remarks. 


6 


03 

3 

CO 


o 

t-l 


1 

3 
< 


°8 

"ol 

o 


a 

03 


3 

"3 

o 

CO 


03 


o 

£2 
M 

03 
Q 


03 
o 

3 


"3 
CO 


O 

3 
o 


"o 

> 


03 
O 




1 


15 


66.1 




25 


3.1 


2.S 


1.1 


0.0 


61 


24 


5.4 




113 


Free carbon dioxide (C02)= 
27; well 1, Table 57. 


2 


6.7 


1.2 


0.6 


42 


.6 


3.5 


.4 


56 




13 


4.9 


20 


150 


[ W aters from 3 different levels 


3 


8.0 


1.1 


.5 


35 


. 7 


3.1 


.5 


48 




12 


4.2 


23 


138 


I in the town well drilled in 


4 


12 


1.4 


.9 


41 


.7 


2.3 


.3 


56 




14 


2.9 


16 


149 


I 1893; well 2, Table 57. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 140, 141, 1908. 



b Fe 2 03+Al20 3 . 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 321 
McDUFFIE COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

McDuffie County is in the northeastern part of the State of Georgia 
on the border between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal 
Plain. Its area is 287 square miles and its population 10,325 (census 
of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county from a few miles north of the Georgia Railroad south- 
ward is included within the Atlantic Coastal Plain; the remainder lies 
within the Piedmont Plateau. The coastal plain area forms a part 
of the northern border of the physiographic division known as the 
fall-line hills and has been greatly dissected by the headwater streams 
of Brier Creek and is therefore very hilly. The maximum surface 
relief is probably between 200 and 300 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

Crystalline rocks outcrop over the northern part of the county 
(Piedmont Plateau) and dip southward beneath deposits of the 
Coastal Plain. The Coastal Plain area extends to the southern limit 
of the county. 

The deposits of the Coastal Plain consist of irregularly bedded 
arkosic sands and clays of Lower Cretaceous age which rest upon the 
eroded surface of the southward-dipping basement crystalline rocks. 
These dip unconformably beneath sands and clays referable to the 
Claiborne group of the Eocene, which cap the divides between Reedy, 
Brier, Headstall, and Boggy Gut creeks. The Lower Cretaceous 
deposits probably attain a maximum thickness of 200 or 300 feet in 
the southern part of the county. The Eocene deposits are relatively 
thin, perhaps not exceeding 50 or 75 feet. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.) 

WATER RESOURCES. 

In the Coastal Plain area water for domestic use is derived from 
dug wells 15 to 90 feet .deep which tap water-bearing beds, chiefly in 
the Lower Cretaceous deposits, and from small springs. The waters 
thus obtained are of good quality, though generally scanty. The 
wells, like others of shallow or of moderate depth in all regions, 
should be protected from surface contamination. 

A deep well owned by the town of Thompson, the county seat, 
passes through about 73 feet of deposits of the Coastal Plain and 
penetrates the underlying crystalline basement rocks to a depth of 
506 feet. Water which rises to within 10 feet of the surface is 
obtained from fissures or crevices in granite at depths of 125, 327, 
38418°— wsp 341—15 21 



322 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

and 450 feet. The daily yield of the well is said to be 12,000 gallons, 
which is used chiefly for drinking. McCallie * gives the following log: 

Log of town well at Thompson. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Lower Cretaceous: 

Bluish clay 

Yellowish clay 

Pre-Cambrian: 

Decomposed granite 

Granite with occasional fissures. 



Feet. 
23 
50 

10 
423 



Feet. 
23 
73 

83 

506 



The following is an analysis of a sample of water from the Thompson 
well, Edgar Everhart, analyst: 2 

Analysis of water from town well at Thompson. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 32 

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe 2 03+Al 2 3 ) 1. 6 

Calcium (Ca) 19 

Magnesium (Mg) ' 2. 1 

Sodium (Na) 18 

Potassium (K) 3. 8 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 55 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 4. 9 

Chlorine (CI) 3. 3 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) .0 

Total dissolved solids 139 

The Lower Cretaceous deposits probably attain a thickness of 200 
or 300 feet in the extreme southern part of the county, where they 
are fairly promising as a source of artesian supply. They not only 
contain beds of porous sand, the texture and structure of which favor 
the retention of considerable quantities of water, but some artesian 
pressure is doubtless developed. However, it is probable that flowing 
weUs can not be obtained. 

As shown by the deep well at Thompson, fairly good supplies of 
potable water can be obtained from crevices in the crystalline base- 
ment rocks which underlie the deposits of the Coastal Plain. 

Mcintosh county. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Mcintosh County is in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia and borders the Atlantic coast. Its area is 470 square 
miles and its population is 6,442 (census of 1910). The shipment 
of lumber and naval stores, fishing, the canning of oysters, and 
agriculture are the principal industries. 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 211, 212, 1908. 2 Idem, p. 212. 



Mcintosh county. 323 

topography. 

The greater part of the county is a nearly level plain which does 
not exceed 20 or 30 feet above sea level. Bordering the coast are 
numerous low sand-covered islands separated by a network of 
sounds, small tidal creeks, and salt marshes. Altamaha River, 
which forms the southern boundary, is bordered by a swamp a mile 
or two wide, limited on the north by a low ridge of dry sandy land 
overgrown with live oaks, behind which is a poorly drained pine 
flat with numerous small cypress and gum ponds and swamps, sub- 
ject in part to overflow during high-water stages of Altamaha River. 
The ridge, which roughly parallels the river and the eastern margin 
of the mainland, is crossed by the Seaboard Air Line Railway near 
Barrington. Darien is located upon it. In the extreme north the 
land rises rather abruptly to 50 or 60 feet above sea level. Geo- 
logically the surface is youthful, having been only slightly affected 
by stream erosion. 

GEOLOGY. 

Terrace sands and clays of Pleistocene age, probably not exceeding 
50 feet in thickness and in most places much thinner, appear at the 
surface throughout the county. Beneath these surficial deposits is 
a series of sands, clays, marls, and limestones probably having an 
aggregate thickness of several thousand feet, which in descending 
order are believed to be of Pliocene, Miocene, Oligocene, Eocene, 
and Cretaceous age. They contain numerous and important water- 
bearing beds. At an unknown depth, perhaps 3,000 feet or more, 
the Cretaceous deposits — the oldest of the sediments of the Coastal 
Plain — are believed to rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline 
rocks. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Driven wells 10 to 25 feet deep are common and, as the water table 
is only a few feet beneath the surface, furnish abundant water. Dug 
wells are less general. In many of them the water stands so near the 
surface in rainy weather that it can be dipped by hand. The water 
from this shallow source is soft but not always wholesome, and in 
places tastes strongly of iron and organic matter. 

Springs are few in number and of slight importance. Pond water 
is used to some extent for stock. 

Twenty-five or more flowing artesian wells in the eastern part of 
the county and on the islands range in depth from 128 to 527 feet. 
Their waters are moderately hard and emit a strong odor of sulphur, 
but are clear and potable. 



324 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Artesian water can be obtained in great abundance anywhere at 
depths of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. The static head will almost 
everywhere be high enough to produce flows. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Darien (population 1,391, census of 1910). — Darien owns three 
artesian wells (Nos. 4, 5, and 6, Table 59). McCallie 1 has given the 
following information concerning two of them: 

The first attempt to obtain artesian water at Darien was made in 1885 by sinking 
a 4-inch well to the depth of 492 feet. This well supplied the town with water until 
1891, when the large 8-inch well now in use was completed. The 8-inch well is 530 
feet deep. It flows about 200 gallons per minute. The water is hard and sulphureted, 
but quite wholesome. It rises 15 feet above the surface. The main water-bearing 
stratum is said to be near the bottom of the wells. Other strata are reported nearer 
the surface, though the flow is unsatisfactory. 

A sample from the 530-foot well at the municipal waterworks 
plant, collected May 6, 1911, was analyzed by Edgar Everhart as 
follows : 

Analysis of ivater from 530-foot well at the municipal water-supply plant, Darien. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 29 

Iron (Fe) 6. 

Calcium (Ca) 34 

Magnesium (Mg) 5. 

Sodium and potassium (Na+K) 46 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) .0 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 156 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 91 

. Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) 

Chlorine (CI) 12 

Total dissolved solids 326 

From a series of well borings McCallie prepared the following 
partial log of the 530-foot well: 

Partial log of town well at Darien (No. 4, Table 59). 

Feet. 

Very coarse sand and pebbles. Many of the pebbles, which con- 
sist of both quartz and feldspar, are only slightly rounded and 
are incrusted with a yellowish ocherous deposit at 125 

Dark-gray marl having a greenish tint and containing numerous 
microscopic rhombohedral crystals of calcite 133(?) 

Very fine gray sand with considerable clay; also a few large well- 
rounded quartz grains at 143 

Fine brown sandy clay and fragments of shells at 167 

Coarse sand, pebbles, and fragments of shells at 176 



i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 147-150, 



19GS. 



Mcintosh county. 325 

Feet. 

The same as the above except that it contains glauconite at 188 

Gray marl made up largely of minute crystals of calcite with a 

few grains of coarse sand at 220 

Fine gray micaceous sand and a few fragments of shells 221 

Diatomaceous earth, greenish-gray, at 258 

Diatomaceous earth with a few small crystals of selenite 280 

Diatomaceous earth in which spicules of sponges are common at. . . 330 

Diatomaceous earth and a few particles of glauconite at 350 

Diatomaceous earth at ■ - 375 

Coarse sand and pebbles forming conglomerate, which contains 

sharks' teeth, small dental plates (possibly of the ray), fragments 

of shells, and pieces of lignite, many of which are an inch in 

diameter, at 385 

Rather fine gray sand, with sharks' teeth, glauconite, a few diatoms 

and fragments of bone and shells, at 388 

Indurated, highly calcareous light-gray marl resembling chalk at. 391 
Fine dark-gray sand containing small flakes of mica, diatoms, 

spicules of sponges and glauconite at 400 

Fine yellow sand with fragments of shells, glauconite, and diatoms 

at 420 

Hard, compact greenish clay, breaking with conchoidal fracture, 

at 440 

Same at . 500 

Fine dark-gray glauconitic sand at 515 

Same with fragments of shells at 524 

Hard, compact claystone and sand 530 

Valona. — Valona is a small village on the Georgia Coast & Piedmont 
Railroad 3 miles northeast of Meridian. A flowing well (No. 20, 
Table 59), owned by George E. Atwood (one of five flowing wells 
owned by him within 5 miles of Valona), is 455 feet deep and 3 
inches in diameter. Mr. Atwood gives the following approximate 
log and states that those of the other four wells were generally similar: 

Approximate log of well of George E. Atwood, Valona (No. 20, Table 59). 
[Given from memory.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sand or soft marl 

Coarse gravel 

Hard marl 

Hard rock (limestone?); yields water which overflows at the surface 

Marl with interbedded layers of rock 1 to 2 feet thick; contains water-bearing beds which 
yield flows 



Feet. 

100 

30 

190 

6 

129 



Feet. 
100 
130 
320 
326 

455 



Sapelo light station.' — A well owned by the United States Govern- 
ment at Sapelo fight station (No. 19, Table 59), near the south end of 
Sapelo Island, completed in 1906, is 480 feet deep. From a set of well 
borings on file in the office of the United States Geological Survey (well 



326 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



No. 625), furnished by Frod Baumgartner, the driller, the following 
log has been prepared : 

Log of Government ivell at Sapelo light station, Sapelo Island (No. 19, Table 59). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Fine loose sand at 

Coarse clear sand 

Medium-grained clear sand. 

Missing. 



Feet. 



Coarse sand with numerous fragments of shells 

Medium to coarse sand with a few fragments of shells 

Greenish-gray sandy clay 

Medium to coarse loose sand 

Coarse sand with small fragments of clay and dark grains of phosphate 

Coarse clear sand with a few small dark grains of phosphate (?) and a few fragments of 
shell 



Very coarse clear sand with a few dark grains of phosphate and numerous fragments of 
shells 

Medium-grained, slightly argillaceous sand with a few fragments of shells 

Very coarse clear sand with small dark grains of phosphate (?) and numerous fragments 

of shells 

Coarse clear sand with numerous fragments of shells 

Coarse sand cemented with lime and numerous fragments of fossils, chiefly Balanus sp . . 



60 
5 
5 

10 
23 
22 
155 
70 



Feci. 



20 
80 
85 
90 
100 
123 
145 
300 
370 



395 
410 

435 

460 
4S0 



Dr. Vaughan provisionally refers the lowermost layer to the 
Miocene. 

Barrington.- — A deep well at Barrington is described by McCallie 1 
as follows : 

The deep well at Barrington, sunk by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1895 for 
the purpose of securing water to supply its locomotives, is 3 inches in diameter and 
450 feet deep. It furnishes 200 gallons of water per minute and the water rises 20 
feet above the surface. Two flows are reported in the well, one at 350 feet and the 
other at 450 feet. The formations penetrated are said to be similar to those in the 
Brunswick wells. 

Wolf Island. — A well at Wolf Island is described by McCallie 2 as 
follows : 

This well was completed in 1891 at a cost of $500. It is a 2-inch well, 500 feet deep. 
The water, which is strongly sulphureted, rises 45 feet above the surface. No record 
of the well has been preserved. 

Creigliton Island. — A well at Creighton Island is described by 
McCallie 2 as follows : 

The Creighton Island well, owned by Mr. George E. Atwood, has a depth of 414 feet. 
It is 3 inches in diameter and furnishes a flow which rises 50 feet above the surface. 
A dark-colored rock, 20 feet in thickness, is reported to have been struck in this well 
at 320 feet. Samples of this rock were found to be impure manganese ore. Coral 
rock and beds of gravel are said to have occurred in the well, but neither their depth 
nor their thickness was given. 

Doboy. — A well at Doboy is described by McCallie 2 as follows: 
Mr. J. C. Woodhull's well at Doboy is 128 feet deep and furnishes a flow which rises 
10 feet above the surface. This well is interesting, as it is the only deep well in the 
county where a flow is obtained near the surface. The water-bearing stratum fur- 
nishing this flow probably occurs in other deep wells in the county, but its presence 
has not been reported. 



i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 149, 1908. 



s.Idem, p. 150. 



Mcintosh county. 

Table 59. — Wells in Mcintosh County. 



327 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


1 




Atlantic Coast Line 

R. R. 
G. E. Atwood 




S.W. McCaUiea... 
do 


1895 


Feet. 


2 


Creighton Island . . 






3 


Georgia Coast & 
Piedmont R. R. 










4 






S.W.McCalliea... 
do 


1891 

1885 


30 


5 


.. do 


do 






6 


do 


do 




J. G. Legare 




7 


Darien, 300 yards 
northwest of post 
office. 

Darien, about 1| 
miles south of, on 
Butler Island. 






Owner 






8 

q 


Adam Strain estate. . 
J. C. Woodhull 


T. A. Bailey 


Chas. M. Tyson . . . 
S. W. McCalliea... 


1908 


Near. 


10 


Doboy Island 

Eulonia, 3 miles 

northeast of. 
Egg Island 


Hilton & Dodge 

Lumber Co. 
J.A.Walker 

Mrs. W. A. Wilcox.. 




G. H. Bacon, post- 
master. 


1890? 


15 


n 


Jule Atwood 




i? 






11 


Inverness (Black- 
beard Island). 

Inverness (Little 
Sapelo Island). 












14 


J. H. Banoly 




do 






In 


Wm. Clifton 


Mr. Ray 

T. A.Bailey 

do 


Wm. Clifton 


1890 
1908 

1S96 

1896 

1906 

1898 

1891 




16 


Ridge ville, 400 yards 
south of post office. 

Ridgeville, J mile 
northeast of. 

Ridgeville, £ mile 
southeast of. 

Sapelo light station. . . 

Valona, 100 yards 

east of post office. 

Wolf Island 


J. F. Thompson.. 


12 


17 


do.... 


20 


IS 


P. S. Clark 




do 




IP 


U. S. Government. . 

G. E. Atwood 

Wolf Island Club.... 


Fred Baumgart. 
ner, Brunswick- 
Mr. Mulligan 






•>n 


Owner 


8 


?1 





















Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Height 

of 
water 
above 

surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
450 
414 


Inches. 
3 
3 


Feet. 
450 


Feet. 

350 


Feet. 
20 
50 


Galls. 
200 


Galls. 


Flows 


Hard 


9 


do 




3 










do 




4 


530 
492 
485 
405 
500 
128 
485 
300+ 


8 
4 
2.. 


530 




15 


200 
35 
40 




. ...do 


See analysis, p. 324. 


n 




do 


r 










do 




7 


3.. 
2.. 


405 

500 


. 365 


22 
20 
10 
15 




do 




8 


30 




do 




9 




do 




10 










do 


Sulphurous. 


11 












...do 


1? 














do 




13 
















do 




14 


300 ± 
527 
503 
476 
474 
480 
455- 
500 


i 












do 




15 


2 
2 


500 

475 

454-476 

474 




16 
13 
18 
25 






do 


Soft. 


16 


5 
20 




do 


Sulphurous. 


17 




do 


IS 




do 


Slightly hard. 


19 








?0 


3 

2 






35 

45 










?,1 










do 


Do. 

















a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 149-150, 1908. 



328 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 59. — Wells in Mcintosh County — Continued. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Tertiary 






?, 


do 






3 




do 






4 


Domestic 


do 


Sand. . . 


See log, pp. 324-325. 


s 




do 




6 




do 






7 


Domestic 


do 






8 


Domestic, canning 
fruit, etc. 


do 




3-inch casing to 365 feet. Cost of well, 
S400. The estate owns 2 other simi- 
lar wells. 


9 


do 




10 


Domestic and boil- 
er supply. 
Domestic 


do 




Cost of well, $300. The company owns 
another similar well on Doboy Island. 


11 


do 




1? 




do 






13 




do 






14 




do 






15 


Domestic, irriga- 
tion. 


do 




Formerly flowed +26. Cost of well, 

$1,350. 
2-inch casing to 100 feet. Cost of well, 

8350. 
2J-inch casing to 160 feet. 


16 


do 


Sand 


17 


do 


do 




18 


...do 


do 


Quicksand 


Cost of well, $150. 


19 




Miocene? 


See log, p. 326. 


?n 


Domestic and boil- 
er supply. 






Cost of well, $150. See log, p. 325. 


?i 


do 















MACON COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 



Macon County is in the northwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Its area is 369 square miles and its population (census of 
1910) is 15,016. Agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is part of the physiographic division of the fall-line 
hills. The original upland plain has been largely destroyed by the 
erosion of Flint River, which crosses the county from north to south, 
and by its various tributaries. In the northeastern part, however, 
considerable stretches of the original plain remain. 

Along the sides of Flint River valley he two relatively narrow 
Pleistocene terrace plains, one 15 to 20 feet and the other 50 or 60 
feet above low-water level of the river. The maximum surface relief 
probably does not exceed 300 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

Cretaceous strata underlie the whole county but come to the sur- 
face only in the northeast over about one-third the total area. Lower 
Cretaceous strata, which consist of coarse, irregularly bedded, arkosic 
sands and clays, outcrop farther north, in the adjoining county of 
Taylor, and dip slightly southward, passing beneath Upper Cretaceous 
deposits near the northern border of Macon County. 



MACON COUNTY. 329 

The Lower Cretaceous strata are unconformably overlain by the 
Ripley formation of the Upper Cretaceous. The Cusseta sand mem- 
ber of the Ripley formation, which consists of several hundred feet of 
irregularly bedded sands and clays of shallow-water origin, forms the 
basal portion of the formation. The Cusseta member is conformably 
overlain by several hundred feet of typical marine beds of the forma- 
tion, which consist of dark sands, clays, and marls. These beds have 
not been traced eastward beyond Ideal, but it is thought that they 
merge in that direction into irregularly bedded shallow-water equiva- 
lents. However, their buried representatives preserve the characters 
of the member much farther eastward, as shown by the records of 
wells at Montezuma and Marshall ville. In the west the typical 
marine beds are overlain by the Providence sand member of the for- 
mation, which consists of 150 feet or more of irregularly bedded sands 
and clays of shallow-water origin. Eastward the member thickens 
and includes in its basal portions shallow-water representatives of the 
typical marine beds. 

The Ripley formation is overlain unconformably by Eocene strata, 
which appear at the surface Over the southern part of the county. 
The Eocene deposits consist of sands and clays belonging chiefly to 
the Midway formation of the Eocene. However, the Wilcox forma- 
tion is probably represented in the southwestern part of the county 
and the Claiborne and Jackson formations are believed to be repre- 
sented in the southeast. A thin overlap of ferruginous sands belong- 
ing to the Claiborne group conceals the Cretaceous beds in the north- 
eastern parts of the county. (See PL III, p. 52.) 

Thin Pleistocene terrace deposits overlie the Cretaceous and 
Eocene strata in narrow areas bordering Flint River. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Throughout the county supplies of water of good quality for 
domestic use are obtained chiefly from water-bearing beds in the Cre- 
taceous or Eocene formation from dug, drilled, and bored wells 20 
to 500 feet in depth and from springs. Springs are numerous through- 
out the greater part of the region but are commonly small. (See 
p. 332.) Creeks and small branches furnish excellent waters in great 
abundance for stock and for making steam. 

Both the Cretaceous and Eocene formations are composed largely 
of beds of porous sand capable of retaining large quantities of water. 
The prospects are favorable, therefore, in all parts of the comity for 
obtaining artesian supplies from Cretaceous or Eocene sources. At 
Montezuma and Oglethorpe the Cretaceous beds are probably 
reached at a depth not greater than 160 feet. Flowing wells at these 



330 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OE GEORGIA. 

places yield large quantities of water from beds in the Ripley forma- 
tion. In the extreme southern part of the county it would be neces- 
sary to drill through 150 feet or more of Eocene strata before entering 
the Cretaceous beds. 

Flowing wells can probably be obtained on the lowest terrace bor- 
dering Flint River at elevations not exceeding 40 or 50 feet above 
low-water level from the point where the river enters the county on 
the north to the southern boundary. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Oglethorpe (population 924, census of 1910). — Oglethorpe, the 
county seat, is not provided with a water-supply system but owns a 
flowing artesian well in one of the business streets. (See PL XXI, A.) 
No log is available but the well undoubtedly taps a water-bearing 
bed in the Ripley formation of the Upper Cretaceous. This well is 
used as a public drinking place for persons and animals. McCallie 
says: 1 

The deep well at Oglethorpe, the county seat of Macon County, which was sunk 
by the town authorities in 1894, has a depth of 500 feet and furnishes a strong flow. 
The strata penetrated in this well are said to be practically the same as in the Monte- 
zuma well. 

An analysis of the water is given in Table 61 (analysis 4). 

One other deep well at Oglethorpe is owned by Judge R. L. Greer, 
who furnishes the following information : 

The well is about 1,250 feet northwest of the post office and 50 or 
60 feet above low- water level of Flint River. It was drilled in 1909. 
Its depth is 446 feet and its diameter 3 inches from top to bottom, 
3-inch casing having been used for the entire depth. When the 
well was first drilled the water flowed 2\ gallons per minute, 10 or 
12 inches above the surface, through a 2-inch pipe inserted within 
the 3-inch casing. The 2-inch pipe was removed and the water 
dropped to 6 or 8 feet below the surface, where it now stands. The 
well is fitted with a hand pump and a gasoline engine. The water 
is said to be somewhat ferruginous and sulphurous, but is used for 
general domestic purposes. The cost was about $550. 

Montezuma (population 1,630, census of 1910). — Montezuma owns 
a public water system, concerning which Mayor J. P. Walker fur- 
nishes the following information : 

A pump with a capacity of 140 gallons per minute forces water 
obtained from flowing artesian wells to an elevated tank of 40,000 
gallons capacity, from which it is distributed to the consumers. The 
plant is equipped with another pump, having a capacity of 500 
gallons per minute, for applying direct pressure to the mains for fire 
protection. The tank pressure is 65 pounds and the direct pressure 
from the pump 75 pounds. The length of the distributing mains is 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 144, 1908. 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XXI 




A. PUBLIC FLOWING WELL AT OGLETHORPE, MACON COUNTY. 
Photograph by S. W. McCallie. 




B. FLOWING WELL AT MONTEZUMA, MACON COUNTY. 
Static head is 60 feet above the surface. Photograph by S. W. McCallie. 



MACON COUNTY. 



331 



4 miles; the number of taps for domestic purposes is 195; for manu- 
facturing purposes, 10; and. there are 45 fire hydrants. The amount 
consumed daily is 150,000 gallons. An analysis of the water is given 
in Table 61 (analysis 2). 

McCailie 1 states that 18 flowing wells, from 60 to 500 feet, have 
been drilled at Montezuma (PI. XXI, B). He gives a log of the 
deepest one: 

Log of well at Montezuma (No. 3, Table 60). 
[Authority, E. J. Wilson, contractor.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



18. Sand 

17. White clay 

16. Limestone 

15. Sand and clay 

14. Bluish tough clay 

13. Sand with mica 

12. Blue clay 

11. Sand and blue clay 

10. Fine micaceous sand 

9. Sand and clay 

8. Sand with thin layers of flint 

7. Clay and fossil wood 

6. Limestone containing shells 

5. Micaceous sand 

4. Clay interstratifled with sand 

3. Fossiliferous limestone with layers of sand 

2. Clay 

1. Sand 



Feet. 

6 
12 

2 
30 
10 
15 
20 
60 

5 

30 

120 

40 

2 

4 
60 
64 
16 

4 



Feet. 

6 

IS 

20 

50 

60 

75 

95 

155 

160 

190 

310 

350 

352 

356 

416 

480 

496 

500 



McCailie says further: 

The first water-bearing stratum, struck at 60 feet, flowed 8 feet above the surface; 
the second water-bearing stratum, struck at 150 feet, flowed 20 feet above the surface; 
the third water-bearing stratum, struck at 350 feet, flowed 30 feet above the surface; 
the fourth water-bearing stratum, struck at 500 feet, flowed 62 feet above the surface. 

Three of the Montezuma wells obtain their water supply from the first stratum, 
14 from the third, and 1 from the fourth. So abundant is the flow from the deep 
wells that an attempt was made to use the water to furnish power to operate a cotton 
gin, but the attempt was not successful. The total amount of water furnished daily 
by these wells is very great, and it must necessarily cause a very heavy draft on the 
water supply. Nevertheless, it is stated that there has not yet been any perceptible 
variation in the static head. 

No fossils were preserved, so that an attempt to distinguish the 
formations penetrated can be nothing more than a rough guess based 
upon the descriptions of the materials as furnished by the driller. 
Layer 18 is probably Pleistocene terrace sand; layers 10 to 17, inclu- 
sive, are believed to belong to the Midway formation of the Eocene, 
although considerations based upon the depth at which the Creta- 
ceous is struck in wells at Americus, Sumter County, throw some 
doubt upon this interpretation; layers 1 to 9, inclusive, probably 
belong to the Ripley formation of the Upper Cretaceous. Layers 1 to 
6, inclusive, probably represent the eastward buried extension of the 
typical marine beds of the Ripley formation. If these correlations 



Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 142, 143, 1908- 



332 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

are correct the water-bearing strata at 60 and 150 feet are in the 
Midway formation, and those at 350 and 500 feet are in the Ripley 
formation of the Upper Cretaceous. 

Six miles north of Montezuma. — C. L. De Vaughn owns a well west 
of Flint River on the lowest Pleistocene terrace plain, 6 miles north of 
Montezuma. The well is 125 feet deep and is cased to 90 feet. The 
water flows 20 feet above the surface. The water-bearing stratum 
tapped is in the Ripley formation of the Upper Cretaceous, and the 
water is said to come from a bed of sand beneath a layer of clay. An 
analysis is given in Table 61 (analysis 3). 

MarshallviUe (population 1,082, census of 1910). — The town of 
Marshallville does not own a municipal water-supply system. An 
attempt was made in 1901 to obtain a public supply from an artesian 
source, but on account of difficulties of construction the well was 
abandoned. The following account is furnished by McCallie: 1 

The deep well at this place, put down by the town council in 1901 at a cost of about 
$1,200, has a depth of 397 feet. It is a 6-inch well, reduced to 3 inches near the bottom; 
it furnishes about 3,000 gallons per hour, the capacity of the pump. The water rises 
to within 121 feet of the surface. 

McCallie gives the following log : 

Log of abandoned town well at Marshallville (No. 1, Table 60). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Yellow clay 

Sand with some pipe clay. 

Fine gray sand 

Brownish sandy clay 

Fine gray sand 

Sand and blue marl 

Clay 

Thin layers of limestone. . . 

Very hard rock 

Sand (water hearing) 



Feet. 
25 

65 
95 
45 
40 
50 
50 
10 
10 
7 



Feet. 
25 
90 
185 
230 
270 
320 
370 
380 
390 
397 



The upper 25 feet of the materials described in the preceding log 
should probably be referred to the Claiborne group of the Eocene. 
The strata from 25 to 370 feet probably belong to the Providence 
sand member of the Ripley formation; those from 370 to 397 feet 
are believed to represent the eastward buried extension of the 
typical marine beds of the Ripley formation. 

One other well, reported from Marshallville, is owned by the Varn 
& Piatt Co., of Savannah (No. 2, Table 60). 

Miona Springs. — Miona Springs is a group of small springs in a 
swamp bordering Flint River, 10 miles north of Oglethorpe. They 
are owned by the Miona Mineral Springs Co., of Fort Valley. The 
waters have reputed medicinal properties and the place is being con- 
ducted as a resort, hotel accommodations and cottages having been 
erected. The largest of the group yields 20 gallons per minute. 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 144, 145, 1908. 



MACON COUNTY. 



333 



Table 60. — Wells in Macon County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 


1 








S.W.McCalliea... 
Milton T. Herman, 

secretary Varn 

& Piatt Co. 
S.W.McCallieo 


1901 
1909 


Feet. 
500 
500 

300± 


2 


Marshallville, 250 
yards south of post 
office. 


Varn & Piatt Co., 
Savannah, Ga. 




S 




4 


Montezuma, 6 miles 
north of. 


C. L. De Vaughn.... 








5 




Joseph Wilson, 
Montezuma. 


J. S. Elmore, or- 
dinary, and S. 
W.McCallie.o 


1894 
1909 


300± 
300± 


fi 


do 


R. L. Greer 













No. 


Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 


Quality. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


1 


Feet. 
397 
483 

500 
125 
500 
446 


Inches. 
6 
4 

3 


Feet. 

390-397 

483 

500 
125 
500 
446 


Feet. 

[ 60 
{ 150 

I 350 


Feet. 
-121 
-120 

[ + 62 
+ 20 
+ 36 

- 7 


Galls. 


Galls. 
125 

75 






2 
3 


Air-comp r e s s o r 
pump. 

Flows 


See analysis 2, Table 


4 






do 


61. 

See analysis 3, Table 

61. 
See analysis 4, Table 

61. 
Slightly ferruginous 

and sulphurous. 


5 


70 




do 


fi 




Hand pump and 
gasoline engine. 









No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Abandoned 

Canning fruit and 
drinking. 


Ripley formation. . 
do 


Sand 




2 




bottom. See log, p. 332. 


3 


do 






4 




do 


Sand 


at Montezuma. See log, p. 331. 


<i 


Drinking and do- 
mestic. 


do.. 


do 


2-inch easing to 300 feet. Cost of well, 

S675. 
Originally flowed 2] gallons 1 foot above 

surface. Cost of well, $550. 


6 


do 













a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 142-145, 1908. 
Table 61. — Analyses of underground waters from Macon County. 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 
2 


Apr. 21,1911 


Flowing well 


Montezuma 

do 


Ripley forma- 
tion. 
do 


Feet. 
375 

500 
125 

500 


Edgar Everhart. 
Do. a 


3 
4 


Apr. 21,1911 


We'll of C. L. De 

Vaughn. 
Town well 


Monte z u m a, 6 
miles north of. 


do 

do 


Do. 
H. C. Whiter 













a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 142-144, 1908. 



334 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Table 61. — Analyses of underground ivaters from Macon County — Continued. 

[Parts per million.] 

















a> 




Q 










" 
















^3 


.*« 


—. 


























T3 


■S 




o 




03 








O 




O 


a 
a 




"a 

03 




2t5 


■a 




O 


2s 


o . 


Remarks. 




c3 


03 


a 


'% 


a 


38 

o 




,3 

Pi 




to 

.9 


c3 o3 
03 


"o3 




o 


s 


"3 
o 


03 


o 


o 

P-i 


e3 

o 


s 


3 


& 


a 

o 




O 




1 


42 


0.4 


14 


2.0 


6 







50 


5.0 


0.1 


4.0 




110 




2 


40 


o3.1 


13 


1.5 


22 


5.3 


0.0 


35 


12 




6.8 




138 


The municipal supply comes 
from the fourth water-bear- 
ing bed, the depth of which 
is 500 feet. Phosphate rad- 
icle (P0<)=2.4. Well 3, 
Table 60. 


3 


20 


18 


6.4 


1.6 


8 





.0 


38 


.0 


1.5 


2.5 




132 


Well 4, Table 60. 


4 


2 




6.7 


3.2 


4 







10 


67 




27 


7 


158 


Well 5, Table 60. 



a Fe 2 3 + AI2O3. 

MARION COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Marion County is in the northwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Its area is 360 square miles and its population (census of 
1910) is 9,147. Agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is included in the physiographic division of the Coastal 
Plain known as the fall-line hills. Its surface is hilly and forms part 
of a dissected upland plain. The county lies on the divide between 
Chattahoochee and Flint rivers, a part of the run-off being received 
by the former, through its tributary, Upatoi Creek, and the remainder 
passing into the latter through Whitewater, Bucks, Muckalee, and 
Kinchafoonee creeks. The maximum surface relief is probably not 
greater than 300 feet. The hills have rounded outlines and over 
much of the area their tops and slopes are blanketed with a thin cov- 
ering of residual though more or less wind and torrent shifted sand. 

GEOLOGY. 

The materials which outcrop at the surface are in part Cretaceous 
and in part Tertiary. Along the extreme northwest border Lower 
Cretaceous sands and clays probably occupy small areas, for they 
outcrop in the southern part of the adjoining county of Talbot and 
dip slightly southeastward, disappearing beneath the Upper Cre- 
taceous beds in the valley of Juniper Creek. The Lower Cretaceous 
deposits consist of several hundred feet of irregularly bedded, coarse 
arkosic sands with subordinate lenses of light massive clay. They 
rest upon crystalline basement rocks. 

The Upper Cretaceous deposits have been referred in ascending 
order to the Eutaw and Ripley formations. The Eutaw formation 



MARION COUNTY. 335 

consists of irregularly bedded sands and clays of shallow-water origin. 
The Ripley formation, which conformably overlies the Eutaw, is 
divisible on lithologic grounds into the Cusseta sand member, which 
consists of several hundred feet of irregularly bedded sands and clays 
similar to the sediments composing the Eutaw formation, the typical 
marine beds of the Ripley formation, which consist of 450 or 500 
feet of massive, compact, gray sands and clays, more or less cal- 
careous and glauconitic, with indurated layers at intervals, and at 
the top the Providence sand member, which consists of about 150 
feet of irregularly bedded sands and clays, mostly of coarse texture 
and of shallow-water origin. The Upper Cretaceous deposits all 
incline slightly to the southeast, the lower and older beds passing 
beneath the higher and younger beds. 

The Upper Cretaceous deposits are unconformably overlain by 
sands and clays belonging to the Midway formation of the Eocene. 
(See PI. Ill, p. 52.) 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug wells 15 to 140 feet deep, which tap water-bearing beds in the 
Cretaceous and Eocene deposits, are the chief source of domestic water 
supplies. Cribbing, generally of wood, is used to varying depths 
below the surface, depending upon the character of the materials. 
The water is commonly lifted by rope and bucket. In the outcrop 
of the typical marine beds of the Ripley formation the water from 
dug wells is apt to be more or less hard, ferruginous, and sulphurous. 
In the areas underlain by the Eutaw formation and by the Cus- 
seta and Providence sand members of the Ripley formation the 
waters from dug wells are commonly soft and of good quality, 
although locally they are ferruginous and, sulphurous. The log of one 
of the deeper dug wells follows, the owner being authority for the 
lithology : 

Log of well of B. F. Duke, 8 miles northeast of Buena Vista. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Cusseta sand member: 

Very hard clay 

Yellow sand 

"Chalk" [clay] 

Yellow sand, water bearing 



Feet. 
12 



Feet. 

12 

92 

104 

140 



Small springs of good quality are common throughout the county 
and where conveniently located are used for domestic supplies. The 
municipal water supply of Buena Vista is obtained from springs. 
(See p. 336.) 



336 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The Cretaceous formations outcrop successively in descending order 
from the latitude of Buena Vista to the northern border of the 
county, and all of them underlie its southern part. The physical 
structure of the Cretaceous strata, except the typical marine beds of 
the Ripley formation, which contain a considerable percentage of 
lime, glauconite, and iron pyrites, is favorable to the retention of large 
quantities of good water. The chances are good, therefore, for ob- 
taining artesian supplies at reasonable depths in any part of the 
county. In order to tap the Cretaceous water-bearing beds in the 
south it is necessary to drill through a probable maximum of 250 
feet of overlying Eocene strata. The Eocene beds probably carry 
moderate amounts of potable water. Flowing wells probably can 
not be obtained. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 



Buena Vista (population 1,016, census of 191C). — Buena Vista, the 
county seat, owns a public water system, data concerning which have 
been furnished by G. P. Munn and J. G. Lowe, both of Buena Vista. 
The supply is derived from Camp Ground Springs, a mile northwest 
of the town. The springs are at the head of a small valley and 
together yield 40 gallons per minute of clear, soft water. The water 
is pumped to a tank of 45,000 gallons capacity, located in the town, 
and is used for domestic purposes, fire protection, and sprinkling. 

The springs emerge from the Providence sand member of the 
Ripley formation. An analysis is given in Table 62 (analysis 1). 

Several attempts have been made to obtain artesian water. In 
one well 583 feet deep and 10 inches in diameter water rose to within 
240 feet of the surface. 1 E. J. Wilson, the driller, furnished the 
following log: 

Log of abandoned well at Buena Vista. 
[Authority, E. J. Wilson.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Blue clays 

Sand and clays 

Soft limestone 

Marl 

Rock 

Marl 

Flint 

Indurated marl 

Hard rock 

Marl 

Limestone, water bearing -. 

Coarse gray sand 

Marl, water bearing 

Marl 

Hard, compact rock 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 146, 1908, 



Feet. 
35 
70 
50 
3 
1 

93 
2 



27 
34 
12 
21 

187 
32 



Feet. 
35 
105 
155 
158 
159 
252 
254 
263 
270 
297 
331 
343 
364 
'551 
583 



MARION COUNTY. 337 

McCallie adds: 

Two water-bearing strata are reported in the well, one at 331 feet and the other at 
364 feet from the surface. The first of these beds is said to have yielded a large quan- 
tity of water, but it was found impossible to keep the bore hole from filling with 
quicksand. Several weeks were spent in trying to control the inflowing sand, but 
all efforts were unsuccessful. The quicksand was finally cased off and the well was 
continued to the depth of 583 feet, when the appropriation made by the town council 
was expended and the well was abandoned. The water-bearing strata of this well are 
Cretaceous. 

The upper 105 feet of strata is referable to the Providence sand 
member of the Ripley formation, and the remainder of the section to 
the typical marine beds of the same formation. 

Information concerning three unsuccessful attempts to develop a 
municipal water supply from an underground source at Buena Vista 
has been furnished by J. C. Butt, as follows: 

Two of the wells were 240 feet deep and were cased to 219 feet with 
8-inch casing; water was obtained in quicksand at 227 feet. The 
third well was 800 feet deep and had 10-inch casing to 280 feet, 
8-inch casing to 360 feet, 6-inch casing to 760 feet, and 4^-inch casing 
to 800 feet. All three attempts failed because of the inability of the 
drillers to control the fine quicksand of the water-bearing beds. The 
total cost of the three attempts was $1,300. 

The third well described by Butt is probably the one described by 
McCallie, although the two accounts differ as regards the depth of 
the well. 

Dug wells 10 to 100 feet deep afford a part of the domestic water 
supply of the town. The largest supplies are said to come from 
depths of 30 to 40 feet, from which source the water is lifted by rope 
and bucket. Pumps are used in the deeper wells, which tap water- 
bearing beds in the Providence sand member of the Ripley formation. 

Boyle. — Eugene Dane, of Friendship, Sumter County, owns a deep 
well 1 mile west of Friendship and 5 or 6 miles south of Doyle, 
Marion County. T. J. James, the driller, gives the following infor- 
mation regarding the well : 

The well was drilled in 1910, is 296 feet deep, and is cased with 
3-inch casing to 107 feet and with 2-inch casing the rest of the depth. 
Water rises to within 90 feet of the surface from a bed at the bottom 
of the well. The well is pumped with a gasoline engine and yields 
8 gallons per minute. The cost was $325. The water is used for 
domestic purposes. The well taps a water-bearing bed at either the 
base of the Midway formation or the top of the Ripley formation. 

Spring near Tazewell. — Mineral Spring, 4 miles northwest of Taze- 
well, has reputed medicinal properties. According to W. E. Pickard, 
of Tazewell, it is in a small valley and is owned by Stewart & Wall of 
Tazewell. A small quantity of ferruginous, sulphurous water is 
38418°— wsp 341—15 22 



338 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

emitted. There arc two cottages on the grounds and facilities for 
bathing. During the summer months people from the surrounding 
region camp in the vicinity of the spring. 

Spring near Putnam. — A spring of reputed medicinal properties, 
known as Mineral Spring and owned by Miss Ida Munro, rises in a 
grove on Springdale farm three-eighths of a mile west of Putnam. The 
owner states that the water emerges from sand through a 10-inch 
terra-cotta pipe inserted in the ground to a depth of 12 feet, and that 
a roof has been placed over the spring. The water is used only for 
drinking. The source of the spring is probably the Midway forma- 
tion. An analysis of the water is given in Table 62 (analysis 2). 

Table 62. — Analyses of spring waters from Marion County. 
[Parts per million.] 



Silica (Si0 2 ) 

Iron(Fe) 

Aluminum (Al) 

Calcium (Ca) 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Sodium (Na) 

Potassium (K) 

Carbonate radicle (CO3) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3) . 

Sulphate radicle (SO4) 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) 

Chlorine (CI) 

Total dissolved solids 

Free carbon dioxide (CO2). . 



5.4 
.2 



5.6 
6.8 

\* 

.0 

12 

Trace. 

50 

20 

103 



4.4 
7.0 

.5 
2.5 
1.2 
5.6 
2.6 

.0 
26 

.7 



1. "Water from one of Camp Ground Springs, 1 mile northwest of Buena Vista, which furnish the 
municipal water supply of Buena Vista. The springs emerge from the Providence sand member of the 
Ripley formation. Sample collected Apr. 20, 1911; Edgar Everhart, analyst. 

2. Mineral spring at residence of Miss Ida Munro, Springdale farm, three-eighths of a mile west of 
Putnam. Source of spring, Midway formation. Analyzed in April, 1910, by Edgar Everhart. 

MILLER COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Miller County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia in the V-shaped area formed by the junction of Chattahoochee 
and Flint rivers. Its area is 253 square miles and its population is 
7,986 (census of 1910). 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county lies within the physiographic division known as the 
Dougherty plain and presents the topographic features typical of that 
division. The general surface is nearly level, but has numerous lime- 
sink depressions. Surface streams are few, the drainage being partly 
by underground streams through lime sinks. No exact determina- 
tions of elevation have been made, but the greater part of the surface 
is probably 125 to 200 feet above sea level. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Vicksburg formation (Oligocene) is the surface terrane through- 
out the county. It consists of 300 feet or more of sandy, cavernous, 



MILLER COUNTY. 339 

water-bearing limestones which weather to red or yellow residual 
sands and clays containing fragments and masses of flint. Outcrops 
of unweathered limestone are rare. 

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by several hundred feet of 
undifferentiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls of Eocene age 
which contain water-bearing beds. Although no wells have pene- 
trated below the Eocene within the county, it is believed that these 
deposits are underlain by 2,000 feet or more of sands, clays, and marls 
of Cretaceous age, which rest upon a deeply buried basement of 
ancient crystalline rocks. The Cretaceous deposits contain important 
water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The domestic water supply of the county is obtained chiefly from 
dug wells 30 to 50 feet deep. With the exception of a few wells which 
draw from the underlying unweathered limestones of the Vicksburg 
formation, the source of the water is the residual sands and clays which 
compose the surface materials to varying depths. Artesian wells have 
been drilled at Colquitt and at Babcock. 

The few small springs in the county are unimportant as sources of 
water supply. The waters of streams and ponds are used locally for 
stock and for boiler supply. 

Abundant supplies of potable water can be obtained from deep 
wells anywhere, and on the low lands bordering Spring Creek flowing 
wells can probably be obtained from the deeply buried Eocene or Cre- 
taceous deposits at 500 to 1,500 feet. This statement is based on the 
known static head of deep wells in Early, Baker, and Calhoun counties. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Colquitt (population 600, census of 1910). — Colquitt, the county 
seat, owns a public water-supply system which obtains water from a 
deep well, completed in 1911, on low land near the Georgia, Florida & 
Alabama Railway in the eastern part of the town. The well is 246.5 
feet deep and the water stands within 16 feet of the surface. The 
maximum yield by pumping is about 500 gallons a minute. J. G. 
Chason, the driller, furnishes the following log from memory: 

Log of town well at Colquitt (No. 3, Table 63). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sand and clay, water bearing at base 

Soft limestone, containing cavities 

Hard limestone, containing water-bearing strata 

A shaly formation in alternating hard and soft layers. 
Hard sandrock 



Feet. 
60 
75 
55 
56 
.5 



Feet. 
60 
135 
190 
246 
246.5 



340 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



The principal water-bearing bed is said to be at 140 feet and is 
probably in the Vicksbnrg formation. A sample collected from this 
well December 23, 1912, was analyzed by Edgar Everhart as follows: 

Analysis of water from town well at Colquitt. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (SiO a ) 6. 

Iron (Fe) 5 

Calcium (Ca) 40 

Magnesium (Mg) 2.5 

Sodium and potassium (Na+K) 6. 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) .0 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 148 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) Trace. 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) 5 

Chlorine (CI) 3. 5 

Total dissolved solids 129 

Another well drilled by the town in 1900 is said to be 400 feet deep. 
Water stands within 56 feet of the surface. The surface at the mouth 
of this well is much higher than at the mouth of the new well, which 
accounts for the difference in the static head. The water is hard and 
is used only for domestic purposes. 

Babcock (population 402, census of 1910). — A well owned by the 
Babcock Bros. Lumber Co. at Babcock, a small town in the south- 
ern part of the county, is 300 feet deep. Water stands within 30 feet 
of the surface. It is used for domestic purposes and for stock, but is 
not suitable for boiler supply. 

Table 63. — Wells in Miller County. 



No. 



Location. 



Owner. 



Driller. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Eleva- 
tion 
above 

or 
below 
datum. 



Babcock. 

Colquitt. 
.do. 



Colquitt (1 mile south 

of). 
Colquitt (4 miles 

southeast of). 



Babcock Bros. Lum- 
ber Co. 

Town 

do 

R. W. Graw 



R. O. McNair. 



Feet. 



J. G. Chason.. 
do 



O. O. Bush.. 
J. G. Chason. 
do 



1900 
1911 
1911 



L. Cowart. 



.do. 



.do. 



a+25 
b-20 
c+42 
or 50 



No. 



Depth. 



Diam- 
eter. 



Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 



Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 



Level 
of 

water 
below 
surface, 



Yield per 
minute. 



Flow. Pump 



How obtained. 



Quality. 



Feet. 
300 
400 

246J 
78 



Inches. 
4 
3 



Feet. 


Feet. 




150 


140 
75 




300-350 





Feet. 
30 
56 

16 
30 

65 



Galls. 



Galls. 



75 
500 



Steam pump . 
do 



Suction pump.... 
Gasoline forc( 

pump. 
do 



Hard. 

Ferruginous, s u 1 - 

phurous, hard. 
See analysis above. 
Hard. 

Do. 



a Datum, surface at railroad station. 

b Datum, surface at courthouse. 

c Datum, low-water level of Spring Creek. 



MITCHELL COUNTY. 

Table 63. — Wells in Miller County — Continued. 



341 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 




Diameter at top 6 inches, at bottom 4 


2 


do 


Sand and rock 

Limestone 

White limestone . . 


inches. 
Cost of well$700; cost of machinery S200. 


3 
4 


Municipal supply . 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 
do 


Diameter at top 4 inches, at bottom 
3 inches. 
8-inch casing to 135 feet, see log, p. 339. 

4-inch casing to 60 feet. Cost of well $150. 


5 


Domestic, manu- 
facturing. 




4J-inch casing to 240 feet. 











MITCHELL COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 



Mitchell County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Its area is 548 square miles and its population is 22,114 
(census of 1910). Agriculture and lumbering are the chief industries. 
Near Dewitt and Baconton the cultivation of pecans is an important 
and growing industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

A nearly level plain, 5 to 15 miles wide and 150 to 170 feet above 
sea level, lies east of and approximately parallel to Flint River, which 
forms the western boundary of the county. This area, which falls 
within the physiographic division known as the Dougherty plain, is 
characterized by numerous lime sinks and lime-sink ponds and by 
the almost total absence of surface streams, the drainage being chiefly 
underground. In narrow areas bordering the river the plain is 
modified by two more or less clearly denned Pleistocene terraces, one 
lying 15 to 20 feet and the other 50 to 60 feet above low-water level. 

The remainder of the county, in the east and southeast, is an 
upland estimated to be 300 to 375 feet above sea level, the surface of 
which is characterized by low rounded hills and broad shallow valleys. 
This area lies in the physiographic division called the Altamaha 
upland or long-leaf pine region. The Altamaha upland is separated 
from the Dougherty plain to the west by a relatively abrupt escarp- 
ment, which is expressed in the grade of the Atlantic Coast Line 
Railroad between Camilla and Pelham. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Vicksburg formation is the surface terrane throughout the 
greater part of an area 5 to 15 miles wide which borders Flint River 
and is coextensive with the Dougherty plain. It consists of 300 feet 
or more of cavernous water-bearing limestones, which weather at 
the surface to residual sands and clays containing fragments and 



842 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

masses of flint. The unweathered limestones outcrop in places in 
the channel and banks of Flint River. The formation extends east- 
ward and underlies the entire county. 

The Chattahoochee formation, which consists of 100 feet or less of 
limestones, overlies the Vicksburg formation, and the residual sands 
and clays to which the limestones weather outcrop in the face of the 
escarpment which separates the Altamaha upland from the Dougherty 
plain and which extends northeast and southwest through the county. 
The Chattahoochee formation is overlain by the Alum Bluff forma- 
tion, which consists of 100 feet or less of sands and clays and which 
also outcrops in a narrow belt in the escarpment. 

The Alum Bluff formation is overlain by 75 feet or less of irregu- 
larly bedded sands and clays of undetermined age, which outcrop 
throughout the remainder of the Altamaha upland in the eastern 
and southeastern parts of the county. 

Thin terrace deposits of sand and clay of Pleistocene age occupy 
narrow areas bordering Flint River. 

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by several hundred feet of 
undifferentiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls of Eocene age, 
which contain water-bearing beds. No definite confirmatory evidence 
is available, but it is believed that the Eocene deposits are underlain 
by 2,000 feet or more of sands, clays, and marls of Cretaceous age, 
which rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks and which 
doubtless contain important water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug wells, 20 to 50 feet deep, are the chief source of domestic water 
supply. Most of them yield soft waters, although in. the western part 
of the county some penetrate the unweathered limestones of the 
Vicksburg formation and yield hard waters. During times of drought 
some of the shallow wells fail. 

Deep wells have been drilled at Camilla, Pelham, and Flint. 

Limestone springs emerging from the Vicksburg formation occur 
along Flint River. Seepage springs are abundant in the eastern 
part of the county in the region of outcrop of the Alum Bluff forma- 
tion and the overlying sands and clays. Springs, however, are rela- 
tively unimportant. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,500 
feet or more. Waters from the Vicksburg formation, which in the 
western part of the county extends from the surface to a depth of 300 
feet or more, and which in the east would probably be encountered 
at depths of 200 to 500 feet, will be hard. Those obtained at greater 
depths from the Eocene or Cretaceous deposits might be softer than 
the Vicksbursr waters. 



MITCHELL COUNTY. 343 

Although no flowing wells have been reported, it is believed that 
flows can be obtained on the Dougherty plain in the west at depths 
of 500 to 1,500 feet or more. In the region of the Altamaha upland 
in the east flowing wells probably can not be obtained. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Camilla (population 1,827, census of 1910). — A well owned by the 
city, completed in 1904, is 297 feet deep and yields hard water, which 
stands within 50 feet of the surface. The well is said to penetrate 
chiefly limestones, probably belonging to the Vicksburg formation, 
from 100 feet to the bottom. Water is pumped at the rate of 300 
gallons per minute, an amount sufficient for the needs of the town. 
The following analysis of a sample collected from this well June 7, 
1911, was made by Edgar Everhart: 

Analysis of water from city well at Camilla. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 23 

Iron (Fe) 8 

Calcium (Ca) '. 46 

Magnesium (Mg) 1.0 

Sodium and potassium (Na+ K) 3.0 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 150 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 5.0 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) 4 

Chlorine (CI) 2.0 

Total dissolved solids 137 

Another well owned by the town is 396 feet deep .(No. 1, Table 64). 

PeTham (population 1,880, census of 1910). — The public water sup- 
ply at Pelham is obtained from a drilled well 728 feet deep. The 
elevation at the mouth of the well is 355 feet above sea level and the 
water is said to stand within 215 feet of the surface. The water is 
moderately hard, but is considered satisfactory for general purposes. 

J. H. Chandler, one of the drillers, furnishes the following log: 

Log of town well, Pelham. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Clay in hard and soft layers 

Hard "soapstone" 

Hard gray rock with flint bowlders 

Very hard "granite" rock, water bearing in upper 1 foot. 

Shell formation, water bearing 

Hard " quartz " rock 

Shell formation, water bearing 

Gray granite 

Shell formation, water bearing 



Feet. 

153 
22 

195 
80 
5 

185 
10 
50 
28 



Feet. 
153 
175 
370 
450 
455 
640 
650 
700 
728 



McCallie * mentions a well at Pelham 293 feet deep, in which lime- 
stone probably belonging to the Chattahoochee formation was struck 
at 180 feet. 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 147, 1908. 



344 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Flint (population 105, census of 1910). — According to T. B. White, 
postmaster, four nonflowing wells at Flint range in depth from 180 to 
700 feet. 

Table 64. — Wells in Mitchell County. 



No. 



Location. 



Owner. 



Driller. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 



Camilla . 
.do.. 



Flint. 
Pelham (i mile north 
of). 



Town. 
.do. 



G. C. Cochran. 
Town 



M. A. Jarrard. 
J.D.Pitts.... 



F. T. White & 
Co.; J. H. 

Chandler "and 
C. E. Edwards 
drillers in 
charge. 



Lena Brimberry.. 

T.B. Perry 

Thos. B.White... 
J . H . Chandler and 
the mayor. 



Feet. 
177 
167 
168 
355 



No. 



Depth. 



Feet. 
396 
297 

ISO 

728 



Diam- 
eter. 



Inches. 
8 
S 

3 

10 



Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 



Feet. 
396 
297 



rOO-728 



Depth 

to 
other 
water- 



beds 



Feet. 



140 



370-371 
450-455 
640-650 



Level 

of 
water 
below 
surface 



Feet. 
50 
50 



215 



Yield per 
minute. 



Flow. 



Galls. 



Pump. 



Galls. 
500 
300 



How obtained. 



Air-lift pump 

do 

Hand pump 

f Air-comp r e s s o r 
[ pump 



Quality. 



Hard. 

Hard; see analysis, 

p. 343. 
Soft. 

[•Moderately hard. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Domestic, manu- 
facturing. 

Domestic, manu- 
facturing, boiler 
supply. 




Limestone 




2 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 

do 


SI ,200; of machinery, $1,000. 
8-inch casing to 210 feet. 

4 deep wells at Flint from 180 to 700 feet 

deep. 
153 feet of 10-inch casing. See log, p. 343. 


3 




4 


Municipal supply. 




Shell formation . . . 







MONTGOMERY COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 

Montgomery County is in the central part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Oconee River, which flows through its center, and Ocmul- 
gee River, which forms part of its southern boundary, unite at the 
southeast corner to form Altamaha River. The area of the county 
is 591 square miles and the population is 19,638 (census of 1910). 

1 Under this heading is included a portion of Montgomery County which has been segregated and 
organized as Wheeler County since this report was transmitted for publication. 



MONTGOMERY COUNTY. 345 

The production of lumber and naval stores and the cultivation of 
cotton and corn are the principal industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The interstream areas are rolling to hilly, forming a part of the 
physiographic division known as the Altamaha upland. Although 
few exact determinations of level have been made, it is probable that 
the upland lies 250 to 300 feet above sea level. Low-water level at 
the junction of Oconee and Ocmulgee rivers is approximately 80 feet 
above sea level. Each of the rivers named is bordered by two more 
or less clearly defined Pleistocene terrace plains, one 10 to 20 feet 
and the other 40 to 50 feet above low-water level. The lower plain 
is covered in part by swamps and is^ subject in part to overflow. 
Little Ocmulgee River, which forms the western boundary, is bordered 
on the east by a belt of sand hills, one-half to 1^ miles wide, rising 
50 to 75 feet above the streams. Cypress ponds and tracts of densely 
wooded seepage areas known as bays at the heads of branches and 
creeks are common in the south. 

GEOLOGY. 

The surface deposits throughout the interstream areas consist of 
100 feet or less of irregularly bedded sandy clays and sands with 
subordinate interbedded layers of argillaceous sandstone. They are 
underlain by 100 feet or more of soft sandy clays and sands, in part 
water bearing, with interbedded thin layers of sandstone and 
quartzite that belong to the Alum Bluff formation. These strata 
outcrop in the valleys of Oconee, Ocmulgee, and Little Ocmulgee 
rivers. 

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by 400 feet or more .of 
limestones with interbedded layers of calcareous sandstone and 
marl (see log, p. 346), which probably represent in descending order 
the Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations of the Oligocene and 
perhaps the Jackson formation of the Eocene. These formations 
contain water-bearing beds. 

Beneath the limestones in descending order are a series of sedi- 
ments of Eocene and Cretaceous age which probably have an aggre- 
gate thickness of 1,500 feet or more and which rest upon a basement 
of ancient crystalline rocks. These deposits contain important 
water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug wells 20 to 50 feet deep are the chief sources of water for 
domestic use. Artesian wells have been drilled at Mount Vernon, 
McArthur plantation, Higgston, Ochwalkee, and near Soperton. 



346 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Small seepage springs occur throughout the county but are of little 
importance. The waters of many of them, especially those in the 
swamps, after contact with the air have a film of iron oxide over the 
surface and taste strongly of iron. (See analyses 1 and 2, Table 66.) 
The water of streams and ponds can be used for stock and for boiler 
supply. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,500 
feet or more. Flows can be obtained on the terrace plains bordering 
Ocmulgee and Oconee rivers and in the valleys of their large 
tributaries. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Mount Vernon (population 605, census of 1910). — The town has a 
public water-supply system, owned by W. C. McRae and others, 
which draws from a flowing artesian well 300 feet deep. The water 
is reported hard. The daily consumption is 7,000 gallons. 

McArthur plantation. —The McArthur plantation is in the southern 
part of Montgomery County about 5 miles northeast of Lumber City 
(Telfair County). An artesian well at this place is 900 feet deep, 
and the water rises to within 60 feet of the surface. The water is 
soft and for general purposes is superior to the artesian waters from 
more shallow depths in this part of the Coastal Plain. (See analysis 3, 
Table 66.) McCallie 1 has published the following log: 

Log of well on McArthur plantation (No. 2, Table 65). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sandy soil 

Red clay. 

Coarse sahd 

Blue clay with thin layers of sandstone. 

Sand 

Limestone, water bearing at 419 feet 

Flint 

Sandstone 

Shell formation 

White limestone, water bearing at base. 
Not reported 



Feet. 
4 

16 

10 

220 

100 

150 

2 

23 

100 

265 

10 



Feet. 
4 

20 
30 
250 
350 
500 
502 
525 
625 
890 
900 



The well probably penetrates to the lower part of the Eocene 
deposits. 

Higgston (population 207, census of 1910). — The principal sources 
of water supply at Higgston are shallow dug wells. An artesian well, 
owned by T. M. Barker, is 353 feet deep and contains water that 
rises to within 73 feet of the surface. An analysis of water from a 
small spring near Higgston, owned by Mr. W. R. Calhoun, is given 
in Table 66 (analysis 1). 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 150, 151, 1908. 



MONTGOMERY COUNTY. 



347 



OchwaZkee. — Ochwalkee is a small station on the Seaboard Air Line 
Railway on the west side of Oconee River. An artesian well near 
the station, owned by the Hilton & Dodge Lumber Co., is 228 feet 
deep and flows 20 feet above the surface. 

Soperton (population 449, census of 1910). — J. F. Wooten, a well 
contractor, states that a flowing artesian well on the A. B. Conner 
estate, 7 miles southwest of Soperton, is 240 feet deep. Its mouth 
is about 25 feet above the level of Oconee River, and the water, 
which rises 8 feet above the surface, flows 25 gallons a minute. The 
principal water-bearing bed is said to be a soft rock at 235 feet. The 
water is used for domestic purposes and for boiler supply at a sawmill. 

McRae. — Two flowing wells a mile east of McRae (Telfair County) 
on the east side of Little Ocmulgee River near the wagon bridge, in 
Montgomery County, are reported to be 140 feet deep. 

Kibbee. — An analysis of water from a small spring near Kibbee, 
owned by Mrs. N. H. Mason, is given in Table 66 (analysis 2). 



Table 65. — Wells in Montgomery County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 


1 


Higgstc 
McArtl 




T. M. Ba 






S. W. MeCallieu.. 
do 


1902 


Feet. 


9, 








247 


3 


5 miles northeast of 
Lumber City. 
McRae (Telfair 












4 


County) , 1 
east of. 


mile 


W. C. McRae and 

others. 
Hilton & Dodge 

Lumber Co. 
A. B. Conner estate. . 










5 


Ochwa 

Sopertc 
south 








S. W. McCalli 
J. F. Wootten 








6 


n, 7 miles 
west of. 


J. F. Wootten... 




1910 


( b ) 




Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
353 
900 

140 
300 
228 
240 


Inches. 
6 
3 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 
-73 
-60 


Galls. 


Galls. 






? 


890-900 


419 








See analysis 3, Table 


1 






Flo 




66. 


4 








+17 
+20 

+ 8 






do 


Hard. 


5 


3 






25 
25 




do 




fi 


235 






do 

























a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 150-151, 1908. 

b Elevation about 25 feet above low-water level of Oconee River. 



348 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Table 65. — Wells in Montgomery County — Continued. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Oligocene? 






?, 




Eocene? 




Limestone at 350 feet. See log, p. 346. 


3 




Alum Bluft forma- 
tion? 

Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 

Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 

do 




4 


Municipal supply. 
Domestic 






R 






6 


Domestic, boiler 
supply. 




2J-inch casing, 170 feet; 4-inch casing, 
40 feet. Cost of well, S350. 









Table 66. — Analyses of underground waters from Montgomery County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 




Spring of W. A. 

Calhoun. 
Spring of Mrs. 

N. H. Mason. 
Well 


Higgston (near) . . . 


Surflcial depos- 
its. 

Alum Bluff for- 
mation? 


Feet. 
890-900 




? 


Oct., 1909 
Apr. 17,1911 


Do. 


3 


McArthur planta- 
tion, 5 miles 
northeast of 
Lumber City. 


Do. 



























CD 


'o 


CD 


CD 




'S 


•a 










^ 










X) 


T3 


O 


CD 




03 


!> 






O 


<d 


a 
.a 


'o? 
O 

a 

3 


a 

.3 


a 


a 






13 

>-o 

cd» 

"oa^"" 




3 

3 


Li 

03 o3 
.28 


o . 

to 2 


Remarks. 








a 

a 




p 






M 


.a 












d 


02 


o 

t- - 




6J0 

a 


o 

. 03 ■ 


o 
Ah 




s 


p. 

OQ 




o 

3 
o 


"3 

> , 


o 




1 


10 


30 


Tr. 


0.7 


0.1 


1.9 


Tr. 




36 


Tr. 




2.8 




86 




2 


12 


.5 


0.2 


1.6 


.6 


1.5 


0.8 




33 


1.4 




4.0 




27 




3 


17- 


1.4 




16 


4.0 


S 


2 


1.0 


159 


2.0 


0.1 


9.0 




183 


Well 2, Table 66. 



MUSCOGEE COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 



Muscogee County is in the western part of Georgia on the border 
between the Piedmont Plateau and the Gulf Coastal Plain. Its area 
is 235 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 36,227. 
Columbus, the county seat, is its only municipality. The chief 
industries at Columbus are the manufacture of cotton goods, the ex- 
traction of cottonseed oil, the manufacture of carriages, wagons, and 
implements, and the manufacture of fertilizers. Outside of Columbus 
agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

More than the southern half of the county is in the Gulf Coastal 
Plain and the remainder is in the Piedmont Plateau. The surface 



MUSCOGEE COUNTY. 349 

in general is hilly. The Piedmont portion of the area is more rugged 
and slightly higher than the Coastal Plain portion. The Coastal Plain 
area is in the main a strongly dissected upland plain and is included 
in the physiographic division of the Coastal Plain known as the fall- 
line hills. In limited areas bordering Chattahoochee River, from 
Columbus southward, the hilly upland topography has been modified 
by Pleistocene terracing processes, which have produced two terrace 
plains, one (the Satilla) lying 40 or 45 feet above low-water level 
of the river and the other (the Okefenokee) lying 135 or 140 feet 
above the same datum. The greatest recorded altitude in the county 
is in the Piedmont area in the vicinity of Fortson, about 11 miles 
north of Columbus, where the elevation above sea level is 650 feet. 
Elevations as great as 550 feet are recorded in the northern part of 
the portion of the county in the Coastal Plain. 

The county is drained by Chattahoochee River, the principal tribu- 
taries of which are Upatoi, Bull, and Standing Boy creeks. The 
maximum topographic relief is approximately 400 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

. Crystalline rocks appear at the surface in the Piedmont Plateau in 
the northern part of the county in an irregular belt 2 to 10 miles wide. 
The crystalline rocks dip southward 50 to 60 feet to the mile and pass 
beneath the deposits of the Coastal Plain, forming the base upon 
which the latter rest. 

The Lower Cretaceous deposits, which constitute the greater part 
of the sediments of the Coastal Plain, consist of coarse arkosic sands 
and gravels, with interbedded lenses of light drab to white massive 
clays, which rest upon the crystalline basement rocks. The depos- 
its, which attain a maximum thickness of 350 or 400 feet along the 
southern edge of the area, pass southward unconformably beneath 
the Eutaw formation of the Upper Cretaceous. The Lower Creta- 
ceous deposits carry large quantities of water of excellent quality. 
The Eutaw formation outcrops in an irregular detached area 1 or 2 
miles wide and about 10 miles long, north of Upatoi Creek, capping 
the hills to a maximum thickness of about 140 feet. The formation 
consists of sands and clays more or less calcareous and glauconitic. 
(See PI. Ill, p. 52.) 

A Pleistocene terrace plain (the Satilla) , lying 40 or 45 feet above 
low-water level and having a width of 1 to 2\ miles, borders Chatta- 
hoochee River in the west. This plain is the upper surface of a Pleis- 
tocene terrace deposit of clays, loams, sands, and gravels 20 to 40 
feet thick, which rests upon the planed-off surface of Lower Creta- 
ceous strata. Small areas of a similar but older terrace plain (the 
Okefenokee) northeast and east of Columbus, 135 to 140 feet above 



350 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

the low-water level of the river, also rest upon planed-off Lower 
Cretaceous strata. Coarse sands and gravels at the base of the 
Pleistocene deposits carry large quantities of water. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Outside the corporate limits of Columbus, in the Coastal Plain, 
water for domestic purposes is obtained chiefly from dug wells, few 
of which exceed 100 feet in depth. On the terraces bordering Chatta- 
hoochee River the wells, as a rule, do not exceed 30 or 40 feet in depth 
and derive their supplies from the sands and gravels at the base of the 
Pleistocene terrace deposits. In the hilly region east of the Chat- 
tahoochee Valley it is necessary at many places to sink the wells to 
greater depths. 

Small springs are common in the hilly portions of the county and 
are used to some extent. Numerous small creeks and brooks furnish 
an abundant supply of excellent water for stock and for steam 
production. 

The waters of both wells and springs are soft and, unless insanitary 
conditions exist at the surface in their immediate vicinity, are of 
excellent quality for domestic uses. Shallow wells and springs near 
stables or dwellings are liable to pollution unless the water-bearing 
strata are protected from surface seepage by overlying impervious 
strata of clay or rock and unless water-tight cribbings and casings 
extend from the surface down to such protecting strata. 

The Lower Cretaceous deposits carry large quantities of soft water, 
except along the northern border of the Coastal Plain, where the 
terrane feathers out against the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont. 
The quantity of water contained in the formation increases down the 
dip of the beds, and in the extreme southwestern part of the county 
the amounts available are very great. 

The maximum thickness of the deposits in the extreme southwest 
is estimated to be about 375 feet. Test wells near the mouth of Bull 
Creek draw from Lower Cretaceous beds. If these wells were 3 or 4 
miles farther south they would probably supply much larger quan- 
tities. 

Flowing wells can be obtained on the lowest Pleistocene terrace 
bordering the river from Bull Creek southward to Upatoi Creek and 
probably in the bottom lands of Upatoi Creek for several miles above 
its junction with the river. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Columbus (population 20,554, census of 1910). — Columbus is pro- 
vided with a water-supply system, owned bv the Columbus Water- 



MUSCOGEE COUNTY. 351 

works Co. The following information was furnished by Maj. W. S. 
Greene, of Columbus, who was acting as receiver for the company. 

The municipal water supply is derived in part from two spring 
branches in Lee County, Ala., 4 miles west of the city, and in part 
from Chattahoochee River; that derived from the former source is 
impounded in two reservoirs having a combined capacity of 63,000 
gallons. From these reservoirs the water is conducted through a 
12-inch pipe by gravity to settling basins at the nitration plant in 
the city. The portion derived from Chattahoochee River is lifted 
by means of an electric pump to the settling basins, where the mixed 
water from both sources is treated with alum as a preliminary to 
filtration, which is done with four units of the rapid sand type, manu- 
factured by the New York Continental Jewell Filtration Co., each 
with a daily capacity of 500,000 gallons. After filtration the water 
passes into two clear-water basins having a combined capacity of 
120,000 gallons, from which it is forced by an electric pump having a 
capacity of 1,200 gallons per minute into the standpipe whose base 
is 85 feet above the terrace plain upon which the business part of the 
city is situated. The standpipe itself is 120 feet high and has a 
capacity of 280,000 gallons. The standpipe pressure is 85 pounds 
and the direct pressure 100 pounds per square inch. The total length 
of the distributing mains is 30^ miles; the number of taps for domestic 
purposes is 2,241, and for manufacturing purposes 55; there are 174 
fire hydrants. The daily consumption for domestic purposes is 
925,000 gallons, and for manufacturing purposes 425,000 gallons. 
The water derived from the spring branches is soft. 

During recent years a determined effort was made by the Hudson 
Engineering Co., of New York City, under contract with the city of 
Columbus, to secure sufficient water from an underground source to 
supply the city. The contract specified that the well or wells must 
show an output of 5,000,000 gallons daily during one week of continu- 
ous pumping. The place selected for the test wells was a tract of 
land on either side of Bull Creek, near its junction with Chattahoochee 
River, about 2\ to 3^- miles southeast of the post office. The surface 
here is part of the lowest Pleistocene terrace plain bordering Chatta- 
hoochee River, the general elevation of which is about 50 feet above 
low-water level of the river and between 230 and 240 feet above sea 
level. 

N. W. Wood, constructing engineer, who had immediate charge of 
the work for the company, furnished the information here given con- 
cerning the results of the undertaking. The last detailed informa- 
tion received from Mr. Wood was in February, 1911, at which time 36 
8-inch wells had been completed. The work was still in progress 
and several additional wells were contemplated. Data regarding 
the 36 wells are given in the following table: 



352 UNDEEGEOUND WATEES OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEOBGIA. 
Data of test wells near Columbus. 



No. of well. 


Total 
depth. 


Depth to 

basement 

rock. 


Approximate 
elevation of 

mouth of 
well above 

sea level. 


No. of well. 


Total 
depth. 


Depth to 

basement 

rock. 


Approximate 

elevation of 

mouth of 

well above 

sea level. 


la... 


Feet. 

250 

255 

260 

257 

260 

270 

265 

250 

266.5 

260 

261 

262 

248 

260 

275 

296 

261 

262 

262 


Feet. 

173 

188 

203 

198 

210 

190 

200 

180 

180 

171 

173 

185.5 

195 

211.5 

218 

201 

215 

231 

225 


Feet. 
218? 
226. 75? 
233? 
233. 25 
233.5 
234. 75 
235 

220. 25? 
224. 25 

233. 75 
232. 75 
232.5 
231. 5? 

234. 75 
230. 25 
232 
233. 25 
233 
233.5 


20 


Feet. 

262 

262.5 

263 

262 

262 

267 

267 

225 

216 

241 

222 

247 

248 


Feet. 

224 

225 

227 

230 

228 

245 

242 

225 

216 

241 

222 

247 

248 


Feet. 
232 5 


2 


21 


232. 25 


3 


22 


230 


4 


23 


230 5 


5 


24... 


228 75 


6 


25 


226.5 


7 


26 


227 


8 


27 


230. 25 


9 


28 


228 


10 


29 


552 


11... 


30 


222 


12... 


31 


232.75 


13 


32 


234.75 


14 b 


33 e 


242. 25 


15 


34 


227.6 
282 
300 
293 


227.6 
232 
222 
223 


224. 75 


16 e 


35 


217. 25 


17d 


36/ 


217. 75 


18 d.. 


37 


226. 75 


19 d 











a One water horizon only, 98 to 103 feet. 

b Also known as No. 5A. 

c Trace of gas in granite. 

d Flowed about 10 gallons a minute when first drilled. 

e A proposed well. 

/ Slight surface flow from rock. 

The distribution of wells 1 to 26 is shown in figure 4. The exact 
location of the remaining 10 wells has not been learned, but they are 
south of Bull Creek, in the southeastern part of the area shown on 
the map. 

The wells range in depth from 216 to 300 feet and the crystalline 
basement rocks were struck at depths of 171 to 248 feet. The 
of two of the wells follow: 



log 



Log of test well No. 11, at Columbus. 



Depth. 




Lower Cretaceous (except about 25 feet of undifferentiated Pleistocene material at top) 

Clay 

Soft sand rock 

Harder sand rock 

Sand, with small amount of water 

Clay, light in color 

Sand. 

Clay, light in color 

Hard sand 

Red clay 

Sand, water bearing 

Red clay .* 

Sand, water bearing 

Yellow clay 

Sand rock 

Basement rocks: 

Decayed top of crystalline rock 

Hard" crystalline rock 



202 
261 



MUSCOGEE COUNTY. 

Log of test well No. 25, near Columbus. 



Thick- 
ness. 



353 



Depth. 



Pleistocene (terrace deposit): 

Clay 

Sand and gravel 

Lower Cretaceous: 

White sand rock 

Brown sand rock 

White sand rock 

Brown sand rock 

Gray sand rock 

Brown sand rock 

Yellow sandy clay, soft and sticky 

White sand, water bearing 

White sandy clay, sticky like putty 

Dark yellow clay 

Blue sandy clay 

Yellow clay 

Blue sandy clay 

Red clay, shaly 

White sand, small amount of water 

Red clay, shaly 

Yellow sandy clay 

White coarse sand , water bearing 

Red clay, shaly 

Yellow sandy clay 

Gray sandy clay, lead color 

Tough micaceous clay, resembling residual mica schist 

Micaceous silt 

Basement rocks: 

Soft gray decomposed crystalline rock 

Hard crystalline rock 



Feet. 
17 
10 

4 

7 



Fret. 



17 

27 

31 

38 

46 

55 

69 

77 

98 

117 

125 

134 

142 

147 

156 

165 

179 

190 

194 

210 

215 

220 

229 

234 

245 

250 

267 



Mr. Wood states that two or three water-bearing beds were en- 
countered at various depths in each of the wells Nos. 1 to 26 except 
No. 1, in which there was but one bed. 
The water was admitted to the casings 
by means of strainers inserted at the 
water-bearing beds, the length of the 
strainers being determined by the thick- 
ness of the beds. When first drilled, 
the water in each of the 26 wells rose to 
within 20 feet or less of the surface, and 
three of the wells, Nos. 17, 18, and 19, 
flowed about 1 gallons per minute each . 
The strainers, however, permitted the 
water from the lower beds to drain into 
the upper nonflo wing beds and the flows 
ceased. In general the deeper the water- 
bearing bed the greater the yield. 

During the progress of the work a test was made of the combined 
capacity of wells Nos. 1 to 28. Water was pumped by air lift for 144 
consecutive hours at about 3,000,000 gallons per 24 hours, at which 
rate the static head was lowered to about 125 feet below the surface. 
Three-fifths of the water stipulated in the contract was thus produced. 
38418°— wsp 341—15 23 




500 1.000 1/60 



5,280 Feet 



Figure 4.— Sketch map showing distri- 
bution of test wells near Columbus. 



354 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Although the yield, as shown by the test, was less than that 
required, it was more than twice as great as that now consumed 
daily by the city, and if maintained continuously would supply the 
city's needs for many years to come. These wells, however, are 
only 3 miles south of the fall line, and the catchment area is there- 
fore relatively small. It seems possible that the water table would 
be gradually lowered until eventually the reservoir would be 
exhausted. 

The following is a mineral analysis of water from test well No. 35, 
collected March 27, 1911, and analyzed by Edgar Everhart. The 
sample probably consisted of a mixture of water from several 
beds between 100 and 232 feet, all of which belong to the Lower 
Cretaceous. 

Analysis of water from test icell No. 35 near Columbus. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 52 

Iron (Fe) l.'O 

Calcium (Ca) 37 

Magnesium (Mg) 6.8 

Sodium and potassium (Na-f-K) 47 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 88 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 75 

Nitrato radicle (N0 3 ) 

Chlorine (CI) 38 

Total dissolved solids 314 

The water from the wells is said to have been used in some of the 
boilers at the plant for 18 months without forming any appreciable 
scale. 

Had these test wells been located several miles farther south in 
southern Muscogee County or eastern Chattahoochee County, where 
the Lower Cretaceous deposits have increased to nearly double their 
thickness at the mouth of Bull Creek, the supply of water obtain- 
able would have been much larger and there would probably have 
been no danger of exhausting the reservoir by heavy pumping. 

So far as reported, no shallow wells are used for domestic purposes 
within the corporate limits of Columbus. On a thickly inhabited 
plain, such as that on which the business part of the city stands, 
water from shallow depths is peculiarly li able to contamination. 

That a large supply of water may be obtained from shallow sources 
within the city limits is certain, as shown by the following data of 
wells at the plant of Golden's Foundry & Machine Co., furnished 
by I. E. Golden, secretary and treasurer: 



PIERCE COUNTY. 355 

The wells, five in number, are located on block No. 12, between 
Cemetery Street and Sixth Avenue and between Fifteenth Street and 
the Central of Georgia Railway. They are all dug and range in depth 
from 32 to 36 feet, reaching but not entering the crystalline basement 
rocks. The water comes from sand and gravel beneath beds of sand 
and clay at the base of the Pleistocene terrace deposits or in Lower 
Cretaceous deposits, a few feet of which may intervene between the 
basement rocks and the overlying terrace deposits. It stands 6 to 8 
feet below the surface during wet seasons and at greater depths during 
dry seasons. The yield varies greatly with the seasons, but the 
minimum available from the five wells is 150 gallons per minute. 
The water is obtained by suction pumps. 

PIERCE COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Pierce County is in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Blackshear, the county seat, is on the Atlantic Coast Line 
Railroad, 87 miles southwest of Savannah. The area is 605 square 
miles and the population is 10,749 (census of 1910). Agriculture 
and the production of lumber and naval stores are the chief industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county from a few miles southeast of the Atlantic Coast Line 
Railroad northwestward is a slightly undulating upland, 100 to 200 
feet above sea level, which forms part of the physiographic division 
known as the Altamaha upland or long-leaf pine region. The 
remainder of the county, in the southeast and south, is a flat, poorly 
drained plain 60 to 100 feet above sea level, forming a part of the 
physiographic division known as the Okefenokee plain. Small 
cypress ponds and swampy saw-palmetto and gallberry flats are 
numerous. 

GEOLOGY. 

In the western part of the county the surface deposits consist of 
100 feet or less of irregularly bedded sands and clays, in part water 
bearing, probably of Oligocene age. In the central and north-central 
parts of the county similar undifferentiated deposits of Miocene to 
Pleistocene age outcrop. (See geologic map, PI. III.) The remainder 
of the county is covered by sands and clays of Pleistocene age, 
probably not exceeding 50 feet in thickness. The undifferentiated 
Oligocene to Pleistocene deposits and the known Pleistocene sands 
and clays are the source of the waters obtained in shallow wells. 



356 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The series of Tertiary deposits probably includes in descending 
order representatives of the Pliocene, Miocene, Oligocene, and Eocene. 
(See logs of wells at Offerman, pp. 357-358, at Doctortown, Wayne 
County, pp. 452-453, and at Waycross, Ware County, pp. 437-439.) 
The upper 420 or 450 feet of these deposits consists of sands and 
greenish or drab sandy clays, witli subordinate layers of limestone, 
phosphatic sand, or sandy shell marl and gravel. There follows 255.5 
feet of limestones interbedded with layers of sand and shell marl, 
which may represent in descending order the Alum Bluff, Chatta- 
hoochee, Vicksburg, and perhaps also the Jackson formation. (See 
log at Offerman, p. 358.) Nothing definite is known concerning the 
deposits below the limestone, but it is believed that they include in 
descending order older Eocene and Cretaceous strata, which at an 
unknown depth, perhaps 3,000 feet or more, rest upon abasement of 
ancient crystalline rocks. 

The Tertiary deposits and probably also the Cretaceous deposits 
contain important water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Wells of the dug and driven types ranging in depth from 10 to 30 
feet are the principal source of domestic water supply. Two artesian 
wells have been drilled at Offerman. 

The springs of the county are small and unimportant as sources of 
supply. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 
of 100 to 1,500 feet or more. It is probable that the static head of 
deep wells located on the lowlands bordering Satilla and Little 
Ocmulgee rivers in the southern and eastern parts of the county will 
be high enough to produce flows at the surface. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Blackshear (population 1,235, census of 1910). — Blackshear, the 
county seat, installed a public water-supply system in 1913, obtaining 
water from an 8-inch well 825 feet deep. Information concerning 
the well and the waterworks plant has been furnished by the Hughes 
Specialty Well Drilling Co., of Charleston, S. C, and by the A. P. 
Brantley Co., of Blackshear. The following log, furnished by the 
first-named company, was prepared by J. R. Connelly, driller in 
charge : 



PIERCE COUNTY. 

Log of town well at Blackshear. 



357 



Soft red clay 

Soft white sand 

Soft white clay 

Soft white sand 

Tough red clay 

Soft blue marl 

Alternate layers of soft blue marl and sand 

Hard blue rock 

Alternate layers of marl and hard blue rock 

Tough blue marl 

Hard light-gray rock 

Alternate layers of light-blue shell rock and marl, water bearing. 

Hard light-blue flint, water bearing 

Hard layer of shells 

Hard flint . 



Soft blue marl 

Hard shell rock 

Dark-gray, hard, flinty shell rock 

Shell rock, similar to the preceding but somewhat softer 

Hard dark-gray shell rock ' 

Soft light-gray shell rock 

Hard dark-brown layer of shells. . 

Hard flint 

Medium-hard light-gray shell rock 

H ard flint 

Tough dark-brown layers of shells 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Contain water-bearing layers; the principal source 
of supply. 



Feet. 
20 
10 
20 
10 
40 
40 
30 
10 
60 
20 
20 
40 
10 
5 
2 
8 
35 
40 
20 
10 
50 
20 
5 
25 
20 
255 



Feet. 
20 
30 
50 
60 
100 
140 
170 
180 
240 
260 
280 
320 
330 
335 
337 
345 
380 
420 
440 
450 
500 
520 
525 
550 
570 
825 



The well probably completely penetrates the Oligocene (including 
in descending order the Alum Bluff, Chattahoochee, and Vicksburg 
formations), and enters the upper part of the underlying Eocene. 
Water-bearing beds were encountered between 300 and 330 feet and 
between 450 and 825 feet. Eight-inch casing was inserted to 450 feet 
only, so that all water-bearing beds between that depth and the 
bottom of the well are utilized. The elevation of the mouth of the 
well is about 10 feet above the ground level at the Atlantic Coast 
Line Railroad station or about 116 feet above sea level. The water 
rises to within 55 feet of the surface and is lifted to the surface by 
means of an air-lift pump. The well will yield 1,000 gallons per 
minute. The water is said to be somewhat hard and sulphurous. 
The well was drilled at a cost of $350. 

The water is pumped from the well into a reservoir holding 100,000 
gallons, and from the reservoir into an elevated tank having a like 
capacity. The latter furnishes a gravity pressure of 50 pounds per 
square inch and the possible direct pressure from the pumps is 100 
pounds per square inch. The water is distributed through 5 miles of 
mains to 100 taps and 50 fire hydrants. The daily consumption is 
10,000 gallons for domestic use and an equal amount for manufac- 
turing. 

Offerman (population 483, census of 1910). — At Offerman the 
domestic water supply is obtained from shallow dug and driven wells 
and from two deep wells owned by the Southern Pine Co. The fol- 
lowing log of one of the deep wells, drilled in 1905, was published by 
Fuller and Sanf ord : * 



* U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 298, p. 201, 1906. 



358 UNDERGKOUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Log of the well of the Southern Pine Co., at Offerman. 
[Samples received from the Hughes Specialty "Well Drilling Co., Charleston, S. C] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Black soil, chiefly made land 

Tough reddish and cream-colored sandy clay 

Tough pink clayey sand 

Loose coarse white gravel, water bearing; yields one-half gallon a minute for each foot 

head is depressed 

Tough, sticky, cream-colored sandy clay , 

Loose line grayish sand; no water 

Not reported 

Tough, sticky cream -colored marl, like pipe clay 

Soft cream-colored sandy marl with hard layers 

Dark blue sandy marl with hard layers 

Loose coarse white sand 

Soft blue-black and black sandy marl with hard layers 

Loose fine brownish limy sand with hard layers 

Tough, white limestone with hard layers 

Loose fine white sand with hard layers 

White limestone, water bearing 

Loose fine gray sand, water bearing 

Hard brown limestone and soft marl 

Loose white sand containing glauconite; no water 

Coarse gray sand with bits of soft limestone and rhells; also black granules 

No sample 

Cream-colored limestone with siliceous gray limestone, chert nodules, and quartz grains. 
Flinty gray limestone and yellow shell rock with chert nodules and quartz grains; two 

days drilling 

Hard white sand (sample much like preceding) ; no water 

Medium soft, cream-colored limestone (sample much like preceding) 

Very hard flinty limestone (sample shows a little chert at 573-575 feet) 

Very soft cream-colored limestone with plenty of water at £40 feet to bottom 



Feet. 

1 

39 

20 

10 
50 
10 
50 
60 
20 
20 
20 
100 
20 
20 
20 
20 
10 
10 
18 
(?) 



10 
30 

75.5 



Feet. 

1 

40 

60 

70 
120 
130 
180 
240 
260 
280 
300 
400 
420 
440 
460 
480 
490 
500 
518 
532 
540 
550 

555 
560 
570 

600 
675.5 



Diameter of casing, 6 and 4J inches; length, 635 feet. Water obtained from 640 to 675i feet; rises within 
33 feet of surface; is depressed'about 25 feet by pumping 250 gallons a minute. Water slightly sulphureted. 
Temperature at well mouth, 76° F. 

A partial set of borings from this well is on file in the office of the 
United States Geological Survey (wells Nos. 402 and 450). From 
borings taken between 450 and 575 feet specimens of fossil Bryozoa 
were obtained which R. S. Bassler says are related to the bryozoan 
famia obtained from the Eocene limestones of upper Jackson age at 
Wilmington, N. C, and may indicate either a Jackson or a Vieksburg 
age for the containing strata. 

Information regarding another well owned by the Southern Pine 
Co., drilled in 1898, is given by McCallie 1 as follows: 

This well, owned by the Southern Pine Co., of Georgia, is located on the west side 
of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, almost a quarter of a mile north of the Atlanta, 
Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad junction. The well was put down in 1898 at a cost 
of $500. It is 8 inches in diameter and 125 feet deep. Originally the well was 515 
feet deep but it subsequently filled with sand to 125 feet. The water, which is used 
for boiler purposes and for drinking, rises to within 108 feet of the surface. The 
maximum yield of the well is 40 gallons per minute. Rock is reported at 98 and 
500 feet from the surface, the former bed extending to 108 feet, at which point water- 
bearing sand was struck. 

The water of this well is probably derived from the Alum Bluff 
formation. 

Ice.— An oil-prospecting well has been drilled near Ice post office, 
4 miles northeast of Blackshear, by L. F. Hinson, but no detailed 



i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 152-153, 1908. 



PULASKI COUNTY. 359 

information concerning it has been obtained. A sample from 400 
feet is white limestone. 

PULASKI COUNTY. 1 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Pulaski County is in the north-central part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia, the northern boundary of the county being about 30 miles 
south of Macon and the fall line. Its area is 463 square miles and 
its population is 22,835 (census of 1910). Agriculture is carried on 
extensively, and lumbering, though declining, is still an important 
industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

In the northern part of the county the upland surface presents low 
rolling hills covered in part with a growth of oak and hickory. In 
the south the surface is more nearly level and, though now open, was 
once covered with a forest of long-leaf pine. Lime sinks occur 
throughout the county. 

Ocmulgee River, the largest stream, has cut its valley scarcely 
more than 100 feet below the level of the upland. The river is 
bordered by two narrow Pleistocene plains, one lying 12 to 15 feet 
and the other 50 to 60 feet above low-water level. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Jackson formation, which consists of 150 feet or less of soft 
limestone interbedded with sands and clays, outcrops on Ocmulgee 
River along the northwestern boundary of the county and extends 
southward beneath the younger formations to, and probably far 
beyond, the southern boundary. The formation is water bearing. 

The Vicksburg formation, which consists of 100 feet or less of 
limestone interbedded with sands and clays, overlies the Jackson 
formation and outcrops in the northern part of the county north of 
Hawkinsville and in the valleys of Ocmulgee River and Tuscaw- 
hachee Creek southward to the southern border of the county. 
The formation weathers to red, residual, argillaceous sands, which 
are the chief source of the water obtained in numerous shallow wells. 
The unweathered portion of the formation at greater depths is an 
important aquifer. 

In the southeastern and southern parts of the county the Vicks- 
burg formation is overlain by a thin covering, probably nowhere 
exceeding 100 feet, of ferruginous sands and sandy clays mapped 
with the undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive, which 
yield water to shaEow wells. 

1 Under this heading is included a large area which has been organized as Bleckley County since this 
report was transmitted for publication. (See map, PI. Ill, p. 52.) 



360 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The Jackson formation is underlain by several hundred feet of 
undifferentiated sands, clays, and marls of Eocene age, in part 
water bearing. The Eocene deposits are in turn underlain by 1,000 
feet or more of sands and clays of Cretaceous age, which rest upon a 
basement of ancient crystalline rocks. The Cretaceous deposits 
contain important water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Shallow dug wells are the main sources of domestic water supply 
and in general yield soft waters. Several artesian wells have been 
drilled at and near Hawkinsville and one deep well has been drilled 
at Cochran. 

There are a few springs, but none of large size have been reported. 
Spring waters are used to a small extent for domestic supplies. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 
1,000 feet or more. 

On the Pleistocene terrace plains bordering Ocmulgee River the 
static head of the water will in many places be high enough to produce 
flows from wells 250 feet or more in depth. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Hawkinsville (population 3,420, census of 1910). — Hawkinsville 
is the county seat and the principal business town. The public 
water supply of approximately 100,000 gallons a day is derived from 
artesian wells. 

The artesian wells in the vicinity of Hawkinsville range in depth 
from 175 to 500 feet and furnish an abundance of water which, though 
potable, is so hard that surface waters are preferred in laundries 
and in boilers. According to McCallie * one water-bearing stratum, 
at 265 feet, yields water which flows at the surface and another, at 
490 feet, water that rises 12 feet above the surface. The following 
log of one of the wells is given by McCallie: 

Log of well at Hawkinsville. 
[Authority, Mr. Dearing, well contractor.] 



Red and yellow clays 

Limestone with layers of blue clay 

White limestone and clay 

Blue clay 

Coarse water-bearing sand, containing sharks' teeth 

Limestone interstratified with cla3 T ; stopped on coarse water-bearing sand 



Thick- 
ness. 


Depth. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


40 


40 


140 


180 


40 


220 


40 


260 


100 


360 


130 


490 



Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 153, 154, 1908. 



PULASKI COUNTY. 



361 



The following is an analysis of water from the 490-foot stratum, 
Edgar Everhart, 1 analyst: 

Analysis of water from 490-foot bed at Hawkinsville. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 31 

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe 2 3 +Al 2 3 ) 5. 3 

Calcium (Ca) 62 

Magnesium (Mg) 2. 2 

Sodium (Na) _ 16 

Potassium (K) 3. 6 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 200 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 8. 5 

Chlorine (CI) _ 18 

Total dissolved solids 249 

Free carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) 

The water-bearing stratum at 490 feet is either in the lower part 
of the Eocene or in the upper part of the Cretaceous deposits. 

Cochran (population 1,638, census of 1910). — Cochran owns a deep 
well which furnishes water for domestic use to a part of the inhabit- 
ants. The well is reported to be 365 feet deep and the water rises 
to within 85 feet of the surface. The difference between the static 
head of this well and of the wells at Hawkinsville is due to the differ- 
ence in elevation of the two places, Cochran being 341 feet and 
Hawkinsville only 235 feet above sea level. 

Table 67. — Wells in PidasTci County. 



No. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Approxi- 
mate eleva- 
tion above 

sea level. 


1 






S. W. McCalliei 

do 


1895 


Feet. 
341 


? 




do 


235 


3 


do 


do 




1905 















Depth. 



Diam- 
eter. 



Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearins 
bed. 



Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 



Level 



water 
above 



below 
surface. 



Yield per 
minute. 



Flow. 



Pump. 



How obtained. 



Quality. 



Feet. 
365 
490 
312 



Inches. 
6 



Feet. 
350 
490 



Feet. 
-85 
+12 



Galls. 



Galls. 



320 



Flows. 
do. 



Hard, sulphurous. 
See analysis above. 



» Georg' ■ Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 153-155, 1908. 



362 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 67. — Wells in Pulaski County — Continued. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 




Geologic horizon. 


Character. 




1 






The city owns several deep wells. 
log, p. 360. 




? 


Municipal supply . 
do 


Eocene or Cretace- 
ous. 




See 


3 


do 















QUITMAN COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 



Quitman County is in the west-central part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Its area is 144 square miles and its population 4,594 (census 
of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county lies within the physiographic division of the Coastal 
Plain known as the fall-line hills. The surface was once an upland 
plain but has been subsequently dissected by stream erosion and ex- 
cept in small areas near Chattahoochee River is now hilly. Two ter- 
race plains, the limits of which have not been determined in detail, 
occupy a narrow area bordering the river. The lowest (Satilla plain) 
lies 40 to 50 feet above low-water level of the river and probably 
nowhere exceeds 2 miles in width; the higher (Okefenokee plain) is 
narrower and lies 110 to 120 feet above the same datum. 

The county is drained by Chattahoochee River, chiefly through its 
tributaries, Pataula, Wellono, and several smaller creeks. The maxi- 
mum surface relief of the county is probably between 300 and 400 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Ripley formation of the Upper Cretaceous is the only pre- 
Tertiary formation outcropping in this county. The formation ap- 
pears in a belt several miles wide bordering Chattahoochee River. 
It is underlain by buried representatives of the Eutaw formation of 
the Upper Cretaceous, and the latter is probably underlain by still 
more deeply buried Lower Cretaceous deposits. No wells of sufficient 
depth to determine the character and thickness of the several forma- 
tions mentioned have been drilled in the county. At an unknown 
depth beneath the surface, probably 1,500 to 2,000 feet or more, the 
Cretaceous deposits rest upon crystalline basement rocks. The Ripley 
formation is unconformably overlain by Eocene strata which form the 
surface materials over the greater part of the county east of the 
Cretaceous belt. 



QUITMAN COUNTY. . 363 

The Ripley formation as exposed in the river bluffs consists chiefly 
of massive, compact, more or less calcareous and glauconitic marine 
sands, clays, and marls, with indurated layers at vertical intervals of 
a few feet to 10 feet or more; it contains, however, subordinate lenses 
and layers of loose, irregularly bedded sands and clays. The total 
thickness of the formation in the river section in Georgia is estimated 
to be about 950 feet. In the northern part of the county the upper 
beds of the formation merge horizontally into the irregularly bed- 
ded, shallow-water sands and clays of the Providence sand member, 
which probably attains a maximum thickness of 125 feet. 

The Ripley formation is unconformably overlain by the Midway 
formation, an Eocene terrane composed of sands, clays, marls, and 
limestones. The Midway strata form the surface materials over the 
greater part of the county, but the Wilcox formation, also of Eocene 
age, which overlies the Midway formation, appears in a relatively 
small area in the extreme southeastern part of the county. (See 
PL III, p. 52.) 

Pleistocene terrace deposits, coextensive with the terrace plains, 
rest unconformably upon Cretaceous and Tertiary strata in small 
areas bordering Chattahoochee River. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The chief sources of domestic water are welis of shallow or moderate 
depth, mostly of the dug type, and small springs. On the river ter- 
races the depth of the wells does not as a rule exceed 40 feet, the 
source being the sands and gravels at the base of the terrace deposits. 
In the hilly upland to the east, which includes the greater part of the 
area, wells 40 to 100 feet or more in depth tap water-bearing strata 
in the Cretaceous and Tertiary formations. 

Small creeks and spring branches afford an ample supply of excel- 
lent water for domestic animals and for steam production. 

In the west moderate quantities of rather highly mineralized waters 
may be obtained from water-bearing sands in the Ripley and Eutaw 
formations at depths of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. Throughout the 
remainder of the county the same beds may be reached by drilling 
through the overlying Eocene strata, but they lie at increasingly 
greater depths to the southeast away from the belt of outcrop of the 
Cretaceous strata. 

In a small area the Providence sand member of the Ripley forma- 
tion is an especially promising aquifer, for it is composed predomi- 
nantly of coarse, irregularly bedded sands. 

The porous sands of the Midway formation, which overlie the Rip- 
ley formation, carry waters in moderate quantities. 



364 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Flows can be expected only from wells on the lowest river terrace 
at elevations less than 50 feet above low-water level. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Well of J. F. Hogan. — J. F. Hogan has furnished the following data 
concerning a well located on his property, 11 miles northeast of 
Georgetown. 

The well is situated on a hill and is of the driven type. The depth 
is 150 feet and the diameter is 2 inches. Two-inch casing extends to 
the bottom. The water, which is derived from sand, rises 5 feet in the 
casing and is lifted to the surface by a force pump. The water is soft 
and is used for general domestic purposes. The cost of the well was 
$150. Except for 20 feet of clay in the upper part, the section was 
principally sand. The clay should probably be referred to the Mid- 
way formation of the Eocene, and the remainder of the section to 
the Providence sand member of the Ripley formation. 

Eufaula, Ala. — Several deep wells have been drilled at Eufaula, 
Barbour County, Ala., data concerning which have been published 
by E. A. Smith, 1 State geologist. The underground conditions are 
essentially the same as those immediately to the east in Quitman 
County. 

At Eufaula the altitude of the well from which the city supply is derived is 110 feet 
below that of the railroad track at the depot, or 90 feet above mean tide; that of the 
Oil & Gin Co.'s well is about the same as that of the depot — 200 feet above tide; and 
that of the well at Moulthrop's brickyard is probably intermediate between the two. 
At the two lower wells the water overflows, but not at the other. In all these the sup- 
ply seems to be inadequate. 

City Water Co.'s well, Eufaula, under the bluff on the west bank of Chattahoochee 
River, 110 feet below the city; casing, 4-inch; flow, 5| gallons per minute; hydraulic 
ram used; temperature, 68°. Boring is in marl to water-bearing sands at 400 feet; 
several layers of soft rock; hard rock below the water-bearing sand. 

Eufaula Oil & Gin Co.'s well, Eufaula; bored in 1895; depth 950 feet; water at first 
stood at —26 feet, now stands at —50 feet; cased at 300 feet, 4-inch and 6-inch; supply 
insufficient; well abandoned. 

f Record of Eufaula Oil & Gin Co.'s well, Eufaula, Ala.] 

Feet. 

Top soil and sand 0-30 

Marl 30-380 

Soft sandstone 380-381 

Cavity, with a little water 381-389 

Marl, water below in very fine sand 389-950 

Well at Moulthrop's brickyard, 1 mile southeast of Eufaula; bored in April, 1900, by 
Eugene Thompson; depth, 350 feet; casing 20 feet, 4-inch; flow, 5 gallons per minute. 
Record: Top soil, 0-20; marl water, 20-350. The water-bearing bed in this well is a 
sharp gray sand of fine grain, used by engineers for grinding valves. The boring went 
15 feet deeper than this sand and struck a hard rock which was not pierced. The marl 
contains a great many shells, and in it at intervals of about 30 feet occur indurated 
crusts. 

1 The underground water resources of Alabama: Alabama Geol. Survey, pp. 240-241, 1907. 



RANDOLPH COUNTY. 365 

The following analysis of water from the last-described well was 
made at the Pratt Laboratory, Atlanta, Ga. ; * the source of the water 
is the Ripley formation. 

Analysis of water from well at Moulthrop's brickyard, 1 mile southeast of Eufaula, Barbour 

County, Ala. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 16 

Iron and aluminum (Fe-f-Al) 1. 9 

Calcium (Ca) 3. 5 

Magnesium (Mg) 8 

Sodium (Na) 137 

Potassium (K) 3. 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 351 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) - 5. 2 

Chlorine (CI) 14 

Organic and volatile matter 33 

Total dissolved solids 387 

RANDOLPH COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Randolph County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia. Cuthbert, the county seat, is 118 miles by rail south- 
west of Macon and 45 miles south of Columbus. The area of the 
county is 412 square miles and the population is 18,841 (census of 
1910). Agriculture is the principal industry, but there are a few 
small manufacturing plants at Cuthbert and at Shellman. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The northern part of the county is hilly and broken, the estimated 
altitude of the general upland surface being 350 to 500 feet above 
sea level. The creeks and branches have cut valleys in soft sands 
and clays, 100 to 150 feet beneath the upland level. The upland 
declines slightly southward and becomes less broken until south of 
Cuthbert its surface is only slightly rolling. The county is on the 
divide between the Chattahoochee and Flint drainage systems and 
the streams are small and their waters clear. The western part of 
the county is drained by tributary creeks of Chattahoochee River, 
and the eastern part by Ichawaynochaway Creek and its tributaries 
Cuthbert, on the summit of the divide, is 469 feet above sea level. 

GEOLOGY. 

Strata of Eocene age form the surface materials throughout the 
greater part of the county and consist of several hundred feet of 
sands, clays, marls, and limestones containing important water- 

i Smith, E. A., op. cit., p. 241. 



366 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

bearing beds. Although not accurately discriminated within the 
county it is believed that the Eocene deposits represent in ascending 
order the Midway formation, the Wilcox formation, and the Claiborne 
group. (See PL III, p. 52.) The Midway formation outcrops in a rela- 
tively small area in the extreme northwest, where it has been recog- 
nized on the evidence of fossils, and dips slightly to the southeast. 
The Wilcox formation, which overlies the Midway, outcrops in a belt 
several miles wide, extending northeast and southwest through the 
northwestern part of the county. The Claiborne group rests upon 
the Wilcox formation and outcrops in an irregular area extending in 
a general northeast and southwest direction through the county, with 
important branches extending down the valleys of Ichawaynoch- 
away and Pachilla creeks to the southern boundary. 

In the interstream areas in the southern part of the county the 
Claiborne group is overlain by the Vicksburg formation (Oligocene), 
which consists of probably less than 100 feet of residual sands with 
masses of flint and some beds of unweathered limestones. 

The Eocene deposits are underlain by 2,000 feet or more of sands, 
clays, and marls of Cretaceous age, which do not come to the surface 
within the county, and which rest upon a deeply buried surface of 
ancient crystalline rocks. They contain important water-bearing 
beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug and bored wells 30 to 100 feet deep are the principal sources 
of domestic water supply. Most of them yield soft, wholesome waters, 
but a few enter calcareous strata and yield hard waters. Bored 
wells 75 to 100 feet deep are practicable over most of the county and 
when properly cased are preferable to the dug wells, for they are less 
liable to be polluted. 

Springs are common in the northern part of the county and are 
used to some extent for domestic water supply on farms. Most of 
them issue from sands in the Midway and Wilcox formations, but a 
few emerge from cavernous limestones of the same formations. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 
of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. On the lowlands bordering the creeks 
in the southeast the chances for obtaining flows are considered good. 

In the northern part of the county the most abundant supplies 
can probably be obtained from the Cretaceous deposits, the top of 
which is estimated to be 300 to 500 feet below the surface. The full 
thickness of the Cretaceous is thought to be 2,000 feet or more, but 
water-bearing beds are apt to be encountered at less than 1,000 feet. 



RANDOLPH COUNTY. 367 

In the southern part of the county, south of Cuthbert, large supplies 
can probably be obtained from the Claiborne group or from the 
underlying Wilcox and Midway formations at depths ranging from 
200 to 700 feet. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Cuthbert (population 3,210, census of 1910). — Cuthbert does not 
own a public water-supply system, and the domestic water supply is 
obtained chiefly from shallow wells owned by individuals. It is 
believed that artesian waters could be obtained in large quantities, 
and such waters would probably prove more satisfactory for general 
purposes than those from other sources. 

The following note on an old well at Cuthbert is given by Spencer: 1 

This well was sunk to a depth of 1,000 feet but the record was not kept. From a 
point between 340 and 400 feet water rose to within 30 feet of the surface, and at 550 
feet the water rose to within 70 feet of the surface. 

A well drilled in 1910 by the Cuthbert Ice Co. near the Central of 
Georgia Railway station is 435 feet deep. The water, which prob- 
ably comes from the Midway formation, rises to within 33 feet of the 
surface. The yield by pumping is 75 gallons per minute. The 
water is reported to be soft and is used for the manufacture of ice and 
for drinking purposes. 

SJieUman (population 985, census of 1910). — At Shellman the 
principal source of water supply is an artesian well (No. 3, Table 68) 
owned by the town. Several shallow wells 35 to 65 feet deep are 
owned by individuals. McCallie 2 gives the following information 
regarding the town well: 

The deep well at Shellman , which supplies the town with water, was completed in 
1902. It is 6 inches in diameter and 410 feet deep. The only water-bearing stratum 
reported occurs near the bottom of the well. The water rises to within 70 feet of the 
surface. Mr. J. E. Cole, the well contractor, has kindly furnished the following 
record : 

[Log of town well at Shellman (No. 3, Table 68).] 

Feet. 

Red clay 0-18 

Quicksand 18-148 

Blue marl. 148-300 

Very hard limestone 300-400 

Water-bearing formation 400-410 

From specimens furnished by Mr. Cole the writer has made the following additional 

notes : 

Feet. 

Green sandy, glauconitic marl 250 

The same as above but with more sand 350 

Quartzose and calcareous sand 400 

1 Spencer, J. W., Georgia Geol. Survey First Kept. Progress, p. 79, 1891. 

2 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 155, 156, 1908. 



368 UNDERGROUND WATERS OE COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The following is an analysis of a sample of water from the town 
well at Shellman, Edgar Everhart, analyst. The water is probably 
derived from the Midway formation: 

Analysis of water from the town well at Shellman (No. 3, Table 68). 

Parts per million. 

Silica (SiO,,) 27 

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe 2 3 +Al 2 03) 4. 6 

Calcium (Ca) '. 47 

Magnesium (Mg) 1.4 

Sodium (Na) 4. 8 

Potassium (K) 1.9 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 134 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 12 

Chlorine (CI) 5.4 

Total dissolved solids 174 

Table 68. — ■Wells in Randolph County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


1 












Feet. 
446 


2 
3 


do 


Cuthbert Ice Co 

Town 


B. F. Boland, 

Havana, Fla. 

J.E.Cole 


W.J. McLaren 

S.W.McCallieft... 


ioio 

1902 


446 

379 













Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 

1,000 

435 

410 


Inches. 
4 

6 


Feet. 
340-400 
435 

400-410 


Feet. 

550 

60, 130, 

300 


Feet. 

30.70 

33 

70 


Galls. 


Galls. 






2 
3 




75 


Steam engine, deep- 
well pump. 


Soft. 

See analysis above. 











No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Abandoned 

Manufacture of ice 
and domestic. 


Midway formation ? 
do 






? 


Porous gray rock . . 


120 feet of 6-inch and 110 of 4J-inch cas- 


3 


do 


ing. Cost of well, $800; of pump, S100. 
See log, p. 367. 













a Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 79, 1891. 
6 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 155, 156, 1908. 



UNDERGEOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEOEGIA. 369 
RICHMOND COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Richmond County is in the east-central part of Georgia. Its area 
is 319 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 58,886. In 
Augusta, the population of which is 41,040, the chief industries are 
the manufacture of cotton goods, the extraction of cottonseed oil, 
and the manufacture of carriages, wagons, and lumber products. 
Outside of Augusta the chief industry is agriculture. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is included in the physiographic division of the Coastal 
Plain known as the fall-line hills. Savannah River forms its eastern 
boundary and McBean Creek its southern boundary. The area, at 
one time an upland plain, has been dissected and rendered hilly, with 
a probable maximum relief of 400 to 450 feet. The streams which 
effected the dissection of the upland plain are Savannah River and 
its tributaries, McBean, Spirit, and Butlers creeks. In a strip several 
miles wide bordering Savannah River and extending from Augusta 
southward two terraces were cut during Pleistocene time. The 
lower, the Satilla plain, lies 20 to 30 feet above low-water level of 
the river, and the higher, the Okefenokee plain, lies 75 to 100 feet 
above the same datum plane. The plains, particularly the lower 
one, are still well preserved in places. Augusta is built chiefly upon 
these two plains. 

GEOLOGY. 

Deposits of the Coastal Plain outcrop throughout the county except 
in a small area in the extreme north, where crystalline rocks of prob- 
able pre-Cambrian age appear at the surface. The upper surface of the 
crystalline rocks dips southward beneath the deposits of the Coastal 
Plain and forms the basement upon which the latter rest. These 
basement rocks were encountered in a well at Gracewood, 7 miles 
south of Augusta, at a depth of 410 feet. (See log, p. 373.) 

Lower Cretaceous deposits outcrop in a belt several miles wide, 
extending from Augusta and south of Augusta westward to the 
county line. They rest upon the southward-sloping surface of the 
basement rocks and consist of 300 feet or more of irregularly bedded 
arkosic sands with interbedded lenses of light-colored clays of greater 
or less purity. They extend southward beneath overlapping strata 
belonging to the Claiborne group of the Eocene. 
38418°— wsp 341—15 24 



370 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OE GEORGIA. 

The Claiborne beds, with local exceptions, are the surface materials 
over the southern half of the county. They also cap the ridge 
between Butlers and Spirit creeks and extend northwestward along 
the ridge to Grovetown in Columbia County. The Claiborne materials 
consist of calcareous and glauconitic sands, red and varicolored 
sands, clays in the nature of fuller's earth, shell marls, and sandy 
limestones. (See PL III, p. 52.) 

In an area several miles wide, bordering Savannah River, the 
Lower Cretaceous and Eocene deposits are overlain by relatively 
thin terrace deposits of Pleistocene age. The Lower Cretaceous 
deposits carry large quantities of water and the overlying Eocene 
deposits are in less degree water bearing. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Throughout the rural districts domestic supplies are obtained 
chiefly from dug wells 25 to 130 feet in depth, which tap water- 
bearing beds in the Lower Cretaceous deposits, and from small springs. 
On the Pleistocene terrace plains bordering Savannah River, wells 
20 to 40 feet in depth penetrate the water-bearing basal sands and 
gravels of the terrace deposits. In the hilly areas west of the river 
valley it is necessary in most places to sink the wells to greater 
depths, the water-bearing beds drawn upon being in the Cretaceous 
and Eocene deposits. Detailed information concerning several wells 
of the dug type, which may be regarded as typical, is given in Table 
69 (wells 2 to G and 8). 

The water from both wells and springs is of good quality for domes- 
tic purposes except where contaminated by near-by organic matter. 

With local exceptions the numerous creeks and branch streams 
afford excellent water for domestic animals and for steam production. 

The Lower Cretaceous deposits, which underlie all the county 
except a relatively small area in the north, are of favorable physical 
texture and composition for the reception and retention of large 
quantities of water of excellent quality. Along the northern border 
of the Coastal Plain, from Augusta westward to the western boundary 
of the county, where the featheredge of the formation rests against 
the crystalline rocks, the Lower Cretaceous deposits are too thin 
and He too high on the stream divides to afford more than moderate 
amounts of water. The thickness rapidly increases to the southward, 
however, and the buried deposits throughout the southern two-thirds 
of the county are believed to contain an abundance of water at 
depths of 200 to 800 feet. 



RICHMOND COUNTY. 371 

The Eocene strata, which rest upon the Lower Cretaceous deposits 
over much of the area and which vary in thickness from a few feet 
in the central part of the county to 300 feet in the extreme south, 
carry moderate amounts of potable water. 

No flowing wells have been reported, but the conditions are prob- 
ably favorable for obtaining flows in the valley of Savannah River, 
south of Augusta, at elevations less than 50 feet above low-water 
level, and perhaps also at low levels in the valleys of Butlers, Spirit, 
and McBean creeks. 

As shown by the records of two deep wells (see pp. 371-372) the 
prospects for obtaining water in fairly large quantities from the 
crystalline rocks which underlie the deposits of the Coastal Plain 
are fairly good in the vicinity of Augusta. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Augusta (population 41,040, census of 1910). — Information con- 
cerning the water plant which supplies the city of Augusta has been 
furnished by Mayor Thomas Barrett, jr.; by Nisbet Wingfield, city 
engineer and commissioner of public works; and by S. B. Vaughn, 
postmaster. 

The plant is under municipal ownership. The water is pumped 
from Savannah River above Augusta to a reservoir having a capacity 
of 50,000,000 gallons, located on an eminence north of the city. 
Two pumps are used, each having a capacity of 6,000,000 gal- 
lons daily. From the main reservoir the water passes by gravity 
into 14 mechanical filters of the gravity type, each with a capac- 
ity of 500,000 gallons daily, from which it flows to a clear-water 
basin and is distributed to the city by gravity under a pressure 
of 70 pounds. The total length of the distributing mains is 66.94 
miles. There are 4,246 taps for domestic purposes, 130 for manu- 
facturing purposes, and 788 fire "hydrants. The total amount of 
water used daily for all purposes is 5,800,000 gallons. The water 
supply is satisfactory. An auxiliary steam pump with a daily 
capacity of 6,000,000 gallons is now being installed at the pumping 
station. 

A well (No. 1, Table 69) drilled at the plant of the Georgia Chemi- 
cal Works, lj miles south of the post office, is 970 feet deep and is 
reported to have entered rock, probably crystalline rock of pre- 
Cambrian age, at a depth of 80 feet. The 80 feet of materials above 
the rock are sediments of the Coastal Plain, of which the first 2D or 
25 feet probably are Pleistocene terrace deposits and the remainder 
Lower Cretaceous sands and clays. No water is reported from the 
Cretaceous beds; if water-bearing horizons were penetrated they 



372 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

were cased off, for 8-inch casing was extended to the rock. The 
water is not good for steam production because of the hard scale it 
deposits. 

According to McCallie * water was encountered in this well, probably 
in crevices in the crystalline rocks, between 150 and 190 feet (static 
head 90 feet below the surface), between 200 and 300 feet (static 
head 80 feet below the surface), between 500 and 700 feet (static 
head 75 feet below the surface), and between 800 and 900 feet 
(static head 45 feet below the surface). 

Somerville (population 4,361, census of 1910). — A well 814 feet 
deep at the arsenal at Somerville, a suburb of Augusta, has been 
described by Capt. D. M. Taylor, 2 United States Army, as follows: 

Three water-bearing strata were struck in the well at 500, 600, and 700 feet, respec- 
tively. As much as 1,080 gallons per hour have been pumped from the well without 
perceptibly lowering the static head. The water is hard and slightly chalybeate. 
The first 85 feet passed through consisted of sand, red clay, and gravel. Hard chloritic 
slate was reached at 280 feet, which was followed by a similar rock, with occasional 
thin layers of quartz, to 700 feet. The rock varies in hardness, occasionally being 
comparatively soft, but generally very hard and tough, the softer rock being met with 
immediately above the watercourses and including them, and the hardest imme- 
diately below these watercourses. Near the bottom of the well was found a greenish 
quartz rock. 

Another well at the arsenal is described by Capt. Taylor 3 as 
follows : 

I have one at the arsenal from which the main supply of water is now obtained. 
It is about 160 feet deep and 5 or 6 feet in diameter, and the water stands in it at a 
constant depth of between 9 J and 11 feet, not varying at all from local rains or droughts. 
It is usually pumped dry every day and fills again for the next day's pumping. This 
water I consider much better than that from the artesian well. 

Gracewood. — A well (No. 7, Table 69) was drilled in 1912 at the 
Augusta Orphan Asylum, Gracewood, Ga., 7 miles south of Augusta. 
The following log has been furnished by the Hughes Specialty Well 
Drilling Co., of Charleston, S. C. : 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 157, 1908. 
2 Idem, pp. 157-158. 
s Idem, p. 158. 



RICHMOND COUNTY. 373 

Log of well at Augusta Orphan Asylum, Gracewood (No. 7, Table 69). 
[Authorities, S. L. Hughes and J. R. Connelly, drillers.] 



Feet. 

Loose coarse reddish sand 25 

White and yellow, very sticky clay or kaolin 15 

Pink sticky clay or kaolin '. 15 

Red sticky clay or kaolin 15 

Lighter red sticky clay or kaolin •. 60 

Soft white sand 10 

Soft white clay and sand 40 

Soft red mud 20 

Soft white clay and sand 15 

Soft white sand 20 

Soft white gravel 30 

Soft white sand and clay mixed 10 

Sticky red mud | 10 

Soft white sand which caves readily , I 20 

Alternate layers of soft, sticky, white clay and sand j 10 

Alternate layers of soft blue, white, and yellow sand and clay ! 25 

Soft white sand, water bearing 8 

Tough blue marl [clay?] j 22 

Tough blue marl and shale I 20 

Hard blue marl and shale j 20 

Hard bluish gray rock, the crystalline basement rock; some water obtained in crevices. .1 91.5 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Feet. 

25 

40 

55 

70 
130 
140 
180 
200 
215 
235 
265 
275 
285 
305 
315 
340 
348 
370 
390 
410 
501.5 



The water is said to come in part from depths of 348 to 370 feet, 
where, according to the log, the materials are tough bine marl (clay ?), 
and it is probable that the water comes from the soft white sand 
which immediately overlies the clay. The age of this sand is Lower 
Cretaceous. The crystalline basement rocks, described as granite, 
were struck in the well at a depth of 410 feet and were penetrated to a 
depth of 501.5; some water was obtained from crevices in the granite. 

Windsor Spring. — Windsor Spring, owned by W. H. T. Walker, is 
9 miles south of Augusta. According to the owner the spring 
emerges on a hill slope from rock probably belonging to the Clai- 
borne group, at the rate of 15 gallons per minute. The water is 
bottled and sold. The following analysis was made by H. C. White 
in June, 1909: 

Analysis of water from Windsor Spring, 9 miles south of Augusta. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 3. 9 

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe 2 3 -f A1 2 3 ) 2 

Calcium (Ca) 3. 4 

Magnesium (Mg) 6 

Sodium (Na) 8 

Potassium (K) 4 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 12 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 1. 6 

Chlorine (CI) 1.2 

Organic and volatile matter 2. 1 

Total dissolved solids 20 



374 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 69. — Wells in Richmond County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


1 


Augusta, H miles 
south of post-office 
building. 

Augusta, Ah miles 

west of. 
Belair, 2i miles south 

of. 

Blythe, J mile east of. 
Debruce, 2 miles 

north of. 
do 


Georgia Chemical 
Works. 

P. C. Bohler 




A. Thomas, super- 
intendent Geor- 
gia Chemical 
Works. 


1885 


Feet. 
130 


2 




(a) 


^ 


R. O.Lombard . ... 


John Raborn, 
H e p h z ibah, 
Ga. 


do 


1900 


500± 

( b ) 
( c ) 

( e ) 

(d) 


4 


do 


1905 
1904 


■i 


R. T. Ulm 




do 


6 


do 


do 


1904 
1912 


7 






Hughes Specialty 
Well Drilling 
Co., Charleston, 
S.C.andH.H. 
Alexander, Au- 
gusta, Ga. 

Owner : 


8 


Hephzibah, \\ miles 
east of. 


Asylum. 
P. B. Carpenter 


ty Well Drill- 
ing Co., Char- 
leston, S. C. 
(S. L. Hughes 
and J.R.Con- 
nelly, drillers 
in charge). 


9 


U. S. Government. . . 




Capt. D. M. Tay- 
lor, U.S. Army, e 
do 






10 


do 


do 























No. 


Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute by 
.pumping. 


How obtained. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
970 

34 
132 
100 
144 

84 
501.5 

5fi 


Inches. 

8 

48 
36 
36 
48 
48 
6 

42 

8 

60 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 
17| 

30-32 

120-127 

97 

140 


40 gallons 

Small 


Electrically driven 

deep-well pump. 

Bucket and rope. . 

do 


Soft. 


9 


34 
130 
100 
140 

80 
348-350 

56 
f 500 
< 600 


20 
42 
50 
80 


Do. 


3 


do 


Do. 


4 


...do 


do 


Do. 


1 


...do... 




Do. 


fi 


do 


Hand pump 

Deep-well pump; 

gasoline engine. 

Bucket and rope.. 

Force pump 

do 


Do. 


7 
8 


501.5 


130 


200 gallons 
Small 


Do. 
Do. 


9 814 


1 




18 gallons 


/Hard and slightly 
\ ferruginous. 


10 1RO 


I 700 


J 


9* 

















a On hill. 

b Mouth of well about level with track of Augusta Southern R. R. 

c On high hill. 

d Elevation about 200 feet above low-water level in Savannah River. 

e Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 157, 158, 1908. 



SCHLEY COUNTY. 
Table 69. — Wells in Richmond County — Continued. 



375 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Condensing 


Pre-Cambrian 

Lower Cretaceous. 
do 


Crevices in crystal- 
line rocks. 

Sand 

Coarse sand 


Drilled; 8- inch casing to 80 feet. 
Dug; partly cased. Cost of well, $25. 


1 


do. . 


Dug; partly cased. Cost of well, $50. 

Dug; partly cased. 

Dug; abandoned on account of caving 
sand. Cost of well, $140. 

Dug. Located 50 feet from preceding 
well. 

6- inch casing to 348 feet ; the water prob- 
ably comes from the white sand be- 
tween the depths 340 and 348 feet. 
See log, p. 373. 

Dug. Cost of well, $28. 


4 


. do 


..do 


5 




.do 


do 






... do 


do 




do 


do 


White sand ? 


s 


do 


do 


Q 




Pre-Cambrian . 


Crevices in crys- 
talline rocks 
do 


10 


Domestic 


Main supply at arsenal. 









SCHLEY COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Schley County is in the northwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Its area is 154 square miles and its population 5,213 
(census of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The surface is hilly, forming part of an upland plain that has been 
dissected by Cedar and Bucks creeks and by the headwater streams 
of Muckalee Creek. The maximum surface relief probably does not 
exceed 200 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

Upper Cretaceous strata belonging to the Ripley formation outcrop 
over the northern half of the county, and Eocene strata appear in 
the remainder. The Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation, 
which consists of irregularly bedded sands and clays of shallow-water 
origin, appears in a small area in the extreme north. The Cusseta 
sand is overlain conformably by typical marine beds of the Ripley 
formation, which consist of several hundred feet of compact, massive, 
more or less calcareous and glauconitic marine sands and clays. 
The typical marine beds are overlain by the Providence sand member 
of the Ripley formation, which consists of approximately 150 feet of 
irregularly bedded sands and clays of shallow-water origin. The 
Ripley formation is overlain unconformably by Eocene deposits 
which belong chiefly to the Midway formation and which form the 
surface materials over the southern half of the county. The Midway 
formation is composed of sands and clays reaching a thickness of 
several hundred feet. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.) 



376 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The Cusseta and Providence sand members of the Ripley formation 
are of the proper texture and composition for the reception and 
retention of large quantities of potable water. The typical marine 
beds of the Ripley formation and the sands and clays of the Midway 
formation of the Eocene also carry water but probably in much less 
quantity. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug wells 20 to 100 feet deep and small springs furnish an abun- 
dance of excellent water for all ordinary domestic purposes. Small 
creeks and branches furnish inexhaustible supplies for stock and for 
steam production. 

Over the northern half of the county water of good quality should 
be obtained from the Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation. 
In the extreme north these water-bearing beds should be reached at 
depths between 100 and 400 feet. To the south the beds descend 
until in the valley of Bucks Creek they probably lie 300 to 500 feet 
beneath the surface. In the southern half of the county conditions 
are favorable for obtaining water from the Providence sand member 
of the Ripley formation by drilling through the overlying Eocene 
beds. At Ellaville the water-bearing beds of the Providence member 
probably lie 100 to 250 feet below the surface. 

Over the greater part of the county it is necessary to employ force 
pumps to lift the water to the surface, although small flows can prob- 
ably be obtained on the lowest levels of the valley of Bucks Creek. 

In the southern part of the county the sands and clays of the 
Midway formation of the Eocene at 100 to 400 feet should yield 
moderate amounts of potable water. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Ellaville (population 672, census of 1910). — The town of Ellaville 
owns a public water-supply system, the data concerning which have 
been furnished by Mr. E. L. Bridges, of Ellaville. 

The source of the water is a well 600 feet deep, drilled in 1910 at 
a cost of $2,000 for the well and SI, 600 for the machinery. The 
water is lifted to the surface by means of an air-lift pump operated 
by a gasoline engine. The smallest diameter of the well is 4 inches, 
and the yield is said to be 50 gallons per minute. The water is 
derived from a bed of sand, probably belonging to the Ripley forma- 
tion. A sample collected January 24, 1913, was analyzed by Edgar 
Everhart as follows: 

Analysis of water from 600-foot town well at Ellaville. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (SiO,) 23 

Iron (Fe) . ." 5 

Calcium (Ca) 17 



SCREVEN COUNTY. 377 

Analysis of water from 600-foot town well at Ellaville — Continued. 

Parts per million. 

Magnesium (Mg) 4 

Sodium and potassium (Na+_K) 9 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 25 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 48 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) Trace. 

Chlorine (CI) 4 

Total dissolved solids 92 

SCREVEN COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Screven County is in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia and borders South Carolina. Savannah River forms its 
eastern and Ogeechee River its western boundary. Its area is 794 
square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 20,202. Agricul- 
ture and the production of lumber and naval stores are the principal 
industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The northern part of the county is undulating to hilly and the 
southern part is more nearly level. There are several lime sinks and 
lime-sink ponds in the northeast, where the limestones of the Chat- 
tahoochee and Vicksburg formations lie close beneath the surface. 
In the south cypress ponds and bays are common and the small creeks 
and branches spread out through broad swamps. The upland between 
the Savannah and Ogeechee river basins slopes from about 250 feet 
above sea level in the north to about 150 feet above sea level in the 
south. Savannah and Ogeechee rivers are each bordered by swamps 
lying 10 to 20 feet above low-water level and by a narrow Pleistocene 
terrace plain lying about 40 feet above the same datum plane. 
The elevation of the low- water level of Savannah River in the extreme 
north is approximately 70 feet and in the extreme southeast approxi- 
mately 25 feet above sea level. The elevation above sea level of the 
Savannah River swamp is about 90 feet in the extreme north and 
about 40 feet in the extreme southeast. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Vicksburg formation of the Oligocene, which consists of per- 
haps 100 to 200 feet of water-bearing limestones, outcrops in the 
valleys of Savannah River and Briar and Beaver Dam creeks in the 
northern part of the county. It dips southward and probably 
underlies the entire county beneath younger formations. 

The Vicksburg formation is overlain by the Chattahoochee forma- 
tion, which consists of probably less than 100 feet of water-bearing 
limestones and which outcrops in the valley of Briar Creek. 



378 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 100 feet or more of 
laminated sandy clays and sands, overlies the Chattahoochee forma- 
tion. It outcrops in the valleys of Savannah River and Buck Creek 
in the east and on Ogeechee and Little Ogeechee rivers in the west; 
the deposits carry water-bearing beds. 

In the northern part of the county the Alum Bluff formation is 
overlain by coarse to fine or even pebbly, irregularly bedded sands 
and bluish sandy clays that are probably at least in part of upper 
Oligocene age. 

In the southeastern part of the county the Alum Bluff formation is 
overlain by 50 feet or less of Miocene sands, sandy clays, and shell 
marls which outcrop in the bluffs of Savannah River, and which rep- 
resent in ascending order the Marks Head marl and the Duplin marl. 

Overlapping the Miocene formations and forming the surface 
materials throughout the upland region of the southern part of the 
county are 100 feet or less of coarse to fine, irregularly bedded sands 
and bluish sandy clays of undifferentiated Miocene to Pleistocene 
age, which weather to loose white or yellowish sands that cover the 
immediate surface to a depth of several feet. The shallow wells of 
the county tap water-bearing beds in these surface deposits. 

Pleistocene terrace deposits consisting of sands and clays have 
been deposited in narrow areas bordering Savannah and Ogeechee 
rivers. 

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by 400 to 500 feet of sands, 
clays, and marls belonging to the Claiborne group of the Eocene, and 
the Claiborne is underlain in turn by 500 feet or more of irregularly 
bedded sands and clays of Cretaceous age which rest upon crystalline 
basement rocks. The Eocene and Cretaceous deposits do not appear 
at the surface in the county, but their buried strata contain important 
water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug or driven wells 15 to 60 feet deep are the chief sources of 
domestic water supply. Most of them yield soft waters, but a few in 
the valleys of Savannah River and Briar Creek in the north penetrate 
limestones and yield hard waters. 

Artesian wells have been drilled at Dover, Hershman, and Halcyon- 
dale, near Mears, and at Millhaven, Rockyford, Sylvania, and Ogee- 
chee, 

A few small springs along Savannah River and elsewhere are of 
slight importance. Reddick Blue Spring, rising from limestone 6 
miles northeast of Sylvania, is the only large spring in the county; its 
estimated yield is 500 gallons per minute. Eureka Spring, 12 miles 
south of Sylvania, is a picnic resort. (See analysis 2, Table 71.) 



SCREVEN COUNTY. 



379 



Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 
of 100 to 1,000 feet or more and will be more suitable for domestic use 
than other waters. Flowing wells can be obtained on the terrace 
plains bordering Ogeechee and Savannah rivers and Briar Creek. (See 
PI. XVIII, p. 122.) 



LOCAL SUPPLIES. 



Sylvania (population, 1,400, census of 1910). — The town of Syl- 
vania owns a public water-supply system which obtains water from 
an artesian well completed in 1911. The well is 320 feet deep and 
the principal water-bearing bed is at a depth of 210 feet; the water 
rises to within 100 feet of the surface but is said to be lowered 20 feet 
when pumped 150 gallons per minute. The water is hard but is used 
for domestic and boiler-supply purposes. A log of this well has been 
furnished by the Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co. as follows: 

Log of town well, Sylvania (No. 9, Table 70). 
[Authority, J. R. Connelly, driller in charge.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Red day 

Clay and sand 

Tough shell rock , 

Sand — 

Shell rock and marl 

Sand 

Layers of hard rock; yields a small amount of water at a depth of 190 feet 

Soft shell rock, water bearing 

Medium shell rock 

Sand, noncaving 

Alternating layers of shell rock and sand 



Feet. 
20 
40 
20 
20 
40 
10 
60 
20 
60 
10 
20 



Feet. 



20 

60 
80 
100 
140 
150 
210 
230 
290 
300 
320 



A well owned by T. A. Marks, which formerly supplied the city, 
is 697 feet deep and yields 50 gallons of water per minute, which rises 
to within 70 feet of the surface. Hard rock is reported from 200 
to 230 feet. 

A well, reported as unsuccessful, owned by Mr. L. H. Hilton, is 
285 feet deep ;. water obtained at 280 feet rises to within 80 feet of 
the surface. McCallie 1 has published the following log: 

Log of well ofL.R. Hilton, Sylvania (No. 12, Table 70). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Red clay 

Light-colored clay 

Thm layers of hard rock interlaminated with coarse black sand to the bottom of the well. 



Feet. 
60 
100 
125 



Feet. 
60 
160 

285 



Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 161, 162, 1908. 



380 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

At Sylvania artesian wells more than 800 or 900 feet deep are 
likely to yield larger supplies and softer waters than wells of less 
depth. 

Rockyford (population 385, census of 1910). — Rockyford is in the 
western part of the county on a terrace plain lying about 35 feet 
above Ogeechee River and 130 feet above sea level. Seven 1 flowing 
artesian wells 180 or 185 feet deep have been drilled in the town; 
some of them flow 15 feet above the surface. The water obtained is 
hard and sulphurous but wholesome. Flows are first obtained at 
100 feet and the yield increases as greater depths are reached. It 
is believed that the wells tap water-bearing beds in the Chattahoochee 
formation. 

The town has no public water-supply system but owns a flowing 
well the reported depth of which is 185 feet. The static head is 10 
or 12 feet above the surface, and although the well has been com- 
pleted several years no material variation in the flow has been noted. 

Dover. — Dover is near Ogeechee River at 104 feet above sea level. 
A 350-foot well owned by the Central of Georgia Railway 2 yields 
water which rises 19 feet above the surface. Water-bearing beds 
which furnish flows are reported at 125 and 225 feet. The water is 
used chiefly for the boiler supply of locomotives. The principal 
water-bearing bed is thought to be in either the Chattahoochee or 
Vicksburg formation of the Oligocene. (See analysis 1, Table 71.) 

Millhaven. — Millhaven (Garnett), a trading town having a large 
cotton gin and cottonseed-oil mill, is on the Brinson Railway, on the 
bank of Briar Creek, near the north line of the county. The Comer 
Trading Co. owns seven deep wells four of which flow. 

Two flowing wells near the post office and about 10 feet above Briar 
Creek are 286 and 298 feet deep and flow 14 feet above the surface. 
The principal water-bearing bed is said to be a sand at 280 feet. 
The water is said to be hard and sulphurous and is used chiefly for 
domestic purposes and for stock. Another water-bearing bed was 
encountered at 175 feet; hard rock was penetrated at a depth of 150 
feet. 

Mears. — Mears is a small village 3 miles east of Millhaven. On a 
plantation owned by Mears & Sanders, 3 miles northeast of the 
post office, a flowing well has recently been completed. The mouth 
of the well is 24 feet above Rocky Creek, a small tributary of Savan- 
nah River. The depth is 470 feet and the principal water-bearing 
bed is reported to be a hard shell marl or limestone at a depth of 371 
feet that probably belongs to the McBean formation of the Claiborne 
group. (See analysis 3, Table 71.) W. J. Floyd, the driller, fur- 
nishes the following log: 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 161, 1908. 
2 Idem, pp. 163-164. 



SCREVEN COUNTY. 

Log of well of Mears & Sanders near Hears (No. 4, Table 70). 



381 



Depth. 




Sand 

Clay 

Coarse sand and pebbles 

Whitish honeycomb rock 

Red clay 

White sand 

White rock * 

Sand and clay 

Rock 

Sand and clay 

Rock 

Marl 

Soft rock 

Marl and layers of soft rock 

Marl and clay 

Soft rock. . . ." 

Marl 

Hard rock 

Marl and clay 

Hard rock . . '. 

Marl .- 

Porous rock with good water-bearing beds 

Marl and rocks 

Clay 



Hershman. — Hershman is a village near Savannah River, 22 miles 
northeast of Sylvania. A flowing well 3 miles to the southwest, 
owned by W. K. Harrison, is said by W. J. Floyd, the driller, to be 415 
feet deep, 2 J inches in diameter, and to flow 18 gallons per minute 
7 feet above the surface. The elevation of the mouth of the w T ell is 
not known, but it is probably 50 to 75 feet above Savannah Eiver. 
The water, which is said to be hard, is used for domestic purposes 
on a plantation. 

Log of well of W. K. Harrison, Hershman (No. 3, Table 70). 
[Authority, W. J. Floyd.] 



Thick- 
ness. 


Depth. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


39 


39 


2 


41 


2.5 


43.5 


14.5 


58 


4 


62 


20 


82 


2 


84 


3 


87 


5 


92 


16 


108 


2 


110 


31 


141 


3 


144 


4 


148 


5 


153 


10 


163 


10 


173 


3 


176 


5 


181 


18 


199 


4 


203 


4 


207 


26 


233 


108 


341 


2 


343 


19 


362 


53 


415 



Red and yellow clay 

White pipe clay 

Gravel, sand, and pebbles 

Red and yellow clay 

Soft rock and shells 

Sand arid soft limestone 

Hard rock 

Coarse sand and gravel 

Soft limestone with small water-bearing bedg; good supply of water rises to within 18 

feet of the surface 

Sand 

Sand and clay 

Sand with some yellow clay 

Soft rock 

Hard rock 

Clay 

Soft rock 

Clay ; 

Soft rock 

Clay 

Gray marl 

Soft rock 

Very hard rock: used dynamite to shatter 

Marl 

Marl, partly indurated in some layers 

Hard rock 

Marl and soft rock; water at 362 feet flowed 8 gallons per minute 3 feet above surface 

Marl and layers of rock, water bearing; flows IS gallons per minute 7 feet above surface . 



382 UNDEBGEOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 

Specimens of borings from 210 and 343 feet are hard shell marl or 
impure limestone similar to rock of the McBean formation exposed 
in bluffs of Savannah River in Burke County. 

Table 70.— Wells in Screven County. 



No. 



Location. 



Owner. 



Driller. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 



in 



Dover. 



Halcyondale 

Hershman, 3 miles 
southwest of. 

Mears, 3 miles north- 
east of. 

Millhaven 

Ogeechee 



Rockyford. 

....do 

Sylvania . . . 



Central of Georgia 
Ry. 

E. S. Marsh 

W. K. Harrison 



Mears & Sanders . 



W. J. Floyd. 
....do 



S.W.McCallieo. 



Postmaster.. 
W. J. Floyd. 



104 
110 



.do. 



Town . 
....do. 



E. L. Edenfleld 



T.D.Lloyd. 



Town. 



.do. 



.do. 
.do. 



Sylvania Water Sup- 
ply Co. 

T. A.Marks 

L.H.Hilton 



Hughes Special- 
ty Well Drill- 
ing Co., Char- 
leston. S. C; 
J.E.Connelly, 
driller in 
charge. 



E.L. Edenfleld... 
A. B.Lovett, Syl- 
vania, Ga. 
Oliver Parker 

S.W.McCallieo... 

Hughes Specialty 
Well Drilling Co, 



A. B. Lovett. 



1908 



( c ) 



130 
130 



1911 



w 



S.W.McCallieo... 
....do 



1895 
1895 





Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
350 

290 (?) 
415 
470 

286 


Inches. 
3 


Feet. 
125, 225 


Feet. 


Feet. 
+ 19 

- 12 

+ 7 


Galls. 


Galls. 




See Table 71, analy- 
sis 1. 


?, 






Sand pump 

Flows 


3 


2J 
4£ 


302-415 
371 

2S0 


87-92 


18 




Hard. 


4 






fl 


175 


+ 14 


40 




Flows 


sis 3. 
Hard, slightly sul- 
phurous. 


6 


. .do 


7 


185 
180 
320 
400 
697 
285 


4 
4 
8 

4 
3 


185 
100-1S0 
210-230 

350 


190 


+ 12 
+ 15 
-100 

- 90 

- 70 

- 80 








Sulphurous. 
Hard, sulphurous. 
Slightly hard. 
Hard. 


8 








9 




150 




10 


Deep-well pump . . 


11 




50 


Slightly hard. 


12 


280 

















a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 161-164, 1908. 
b Elevation about 24 feet above low-water level of Rocky Creek. 
« Elevation about 10 feet above low- water level of Briar Creek. 
d Elevation about 35 feet above low-water level of Ogeechee Eiver. 



STEWAET COUNTY. 

Table 70. — Wells in Screven County — Continued. 



383 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Supply of loco- 
motive boilers. 






Cost of well, $300. 


2 


Chattahoochee for- 
mation (?) 
McBean formation 
do 






3 


.do 




See log, p. 381. 


4 




Hard shell rock 


See log, p. 381. 


5 


Domestic, manu- 
facturing. 


.do 




6 






about $400. Mr. Erlenfieldhas drilled 
3 other flowing wells and 3 nonflow- 
ing wells for the Comer Trading Co. 
near Miilhaven. 


7 




Chattahoochee for- 
mation (?) 
do 




Cost of well, $200. 


s 






Seven 4-inch flowing wells have been 


q 


Municipal supply. 

Former municipal 
supply. 




Soft shell rock . 


drilled at and near Rockyford, all 
about 180 feet deep. 
8-inch casing, 150 feet; cpst of well,$l,200; 


in 


Oligocene or Eo- 
cene. 


of machinery, $1,200. See log, p. 379. 


11 




Cost of well, $900. 


1? 








Cost of well, $350. See log, p. 379. 













Table 71. — Analyses of underground waters from Screven County. 
[Parts per million.) 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 




Well of Central 

of Georgia Ry. 
Eureka Spring, 

owned by H. 

S. White. 
Well of Mears 

& Sanders. 




Oligocene? 

Surflcial depos- 
its. 

McBean forma- 
tion. 


Feet. 
350 

470 


Edgar Everhart.a 
Do. 

Do. 


2 
3 


July, 1909 
Apr. 25,1911 


Eureka Spring, 12 
miles south of 
Sylvania. 

Mears, 3 miles 
northeast of. 



















a> 


<a 


<u 


a 




TS 










^ 










•d 


*S 


o 


o 




►> 






O 




< 

a 


"c? 
O 


3 

a 


■3" 


a 

.5 

03 


03 


03 

SO 


o3-~: 


-d . 
<-<0 


o 


O . 


Remarks. 




03 




3 

.9 

a 


a 

.2 


IB 


a 


a 
o 

J3 


03 


"c3 S-/ 
ft 


IS 


CD 

.9 


"o3 












03 




















|Zj 


33 


U 


< 


03 

o 


o 

CO 


O 


03 

o 


pq 


pi 
CO 


fc 


Q 


&H 




1 


50 


64.2 




36 


6.2 


20 


7.1 




149 


3.9 




29 


229 


WeU 1, Table 70. 


2 


5.2 


6.3 


0.1 


1.4 


.2 


3.4 


.4 




61 


1.4 




5.0 


33 




3 


28 


1.0 




44 


2.0 


1 


4 


0.0 


156 


6.0 


Tr. 


3.5 


190 


Well 4, Table 70. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 163, 164, 1908. & Fe 2 3 -I-Al203. 

STEWART COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Stewart County is in the northwestern part of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia. Its area is 411 square miles and its population 13,437 
(census of 1910). The chief industry is agriculture. 



384 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county lies in the physiographic division of the fall-line hills. 
In greater part it is more or less broken and hilly, being the result of 
the dissection of an upland plain. Bordering Chattahoochee River 
are two small Pleistocene terrace plains whose limits have not been 
determined in detail. The lower (the Satilla) lies 40 to 50 feet 
above low-water level of Chattahoochee River, and the higher (the 
Okefenokee) lies 110 to 130 feet above the same datum. 

The drainage of the county is received by Chattahoochee River 
through its tributaries, Pat aula, Hannahachee, Hichetee, and several 
smaller creeks. The maximum topographic relief of the county is 
believed to be at least 400 feet and may exceed that amount. 

GEOLOGY. 

Upper Cretaceous, Eocene, and Pleistocene deposits are the surface 
formations. The Tombigbee sand member of the Eutaw forma- 
tion, which consists of about 120 feet of massive, more or less cal- 
careous and glauconitic sands and interbedded clays with indurated 
layers at intervals, outcrops in the bluffs of Chattahoochee River in 
the extreme northwestern part of the county. This member is con- 
formably underlain by 400 or 500 feet of sands and clays, which are 
also referable to the Eutaw formation but which do not appear at 
the surface within the county. The Eutaw formation is underlain 
unconformably by Lower Cretaceous sands and clays, probably not 
less than 500 feet thick, which rest upon deeply buried crystalline 
basement rocks. 

The Tombigbee sand member of the Eutaw formation is conform- 
ably overlain by the Ripley formation, which has an estimated thick- 
ness of 950 feet. Immediately along the river the formation is 
made up of beds of sand, clay, and marl of marine origin. These 
beds are more or less glauconitic and calcareous and contain some 
lignite. They are" in part loose and irregularly bedded and in part 
compact and massive. Northeastward the lower part of the forma- 
tion merges horizontally into the irregularly bedded shallow-water 
sands and clays of the Cusseta sand member. The upper 125 or 150 
feet of the formation consists of irregularly bedded, coarse to fine 
sands with subordinate clay lenses of shallow-water origin which have 
been designated the Providence sand member of the formation. 
This member outcrops in a belt a few miles wide, extending from 
a point near the southwest to the northeast corner of the county. 

The Providence sand member is overlain unconformably by the 
Midway formation (Eocene), which appears at the surface over 
approximately the southeastern half of the county. The Creta- 
ceous and Eocene strata all incline southeast 20 to 40 feet to the 
mile. (See PL III, p. 52.) 



STEWART COUNTY. 385 

Pleistocene loams, sands, and gravels 15 to 30 feet in thickness 
have been laid down as terrace deposits on two terrace plains in 
small areas bordering the river. One of these plains lies 40 to 50 
feet and the other 110 to 130 feet above low-water level. Their 
extent is not known in detail. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Water for domestic purposes is derived chiefly from dug wells 
20 feet to over 100 feet deep. On the terraces bordering Chatta- 
hoochee River shallow wells 20 to 30 feet deep draw sufficient water 
for ordinary domestic purposes from the sands and gravels at the 
base of the Pleistocene deposits. Because of the absence of imper- 
vious strata between this horizon and the earth's surface there is 
constant danger of contamination from surface sources, especially 
where wells are near dwellings or stables. On the hilly upland 
region east of Chattahoochee River, which makes up the greater 
part of the surface of the county, it is necessary to sink the wells 
100 feet or more. On the hill slopes and in the small valleys water 
is obtained at less depth. 

Small springs are common throughout the hilly parts of the county 
and are used to some extent. In general they yield waters of good 
quality unless locally contaminated by too close proximity to dwell- 
ings or other sources of decaying organic matter. In the belt of 
typical marine strata of the Ripley formation the spring waters are 
apt to be more or less charged with lime, iron, and sulphur. 

In the southeastern half of the county water of good quality is 
available in considerable quantities from the Providence sand mem- 
ber of the Ripley formation. Along the belt of outcrop running 
northeast-southwest through the center of the county the water- 
bearing beds of this member are tapped by numerous shallow wells. 
To the southeast the same beds should be reached at slightly increasing 
depths beneath the Eocene strata. The quantity of water available 
probably increases in the same direction away from the catchment 
area. 

The Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation, which outcrops 
over the greater part of the northwestern third of the county, is a 
possible source of artesian supply to the east and southeast of its 
catchment area. Here it is necessary to drill through the overlying 
typical marine beds of the formation, or still farther to the southeast 
through the overlying Eocene strata, the Providence member of the 
Ripley formation, and the typical marine beds of the Ripley forma- 
tion. The depth of the beds increases to the southeast but probably 
does not exceed 700 or 800 feet within the county. 

38418°— wsp 341—15 25 



386 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Ill the western part of the county good water is obtained by drilling 
through the basal strata of the Ripley formation and the Tombigbee 
sand member of the Eutaw formation into the irregularly bedded 
sands and clays of the Eutaw, which are reached at 200 to 700 feet. 
The wells owned by W. C. Bradley near Omaha and near Coffinton 
tap these Eutaw beds. 

Flowing wells are possible only on the lowest Pleistocene terrace 
bordering Chattahoochee River, at elevations less than 60 feet above 
low-water level. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Lumpkin (population 1,140, census of 1910). — Mayor W. L. Mardre 
has furnished information concerning the water plant owned by the 
town. The supply is derived from springs a mile to the southwest 
and is stored in a reservoir having 40,000 gallons capacity. From the 
reservoir it is pumped into a tank of like capacity located in the town. 
The capacity of the pump is 500 gallons per minute, and there is a 
duplicate boiler and pump for use in emergencies. The length of the 
distributing mains is 3^ miles, the tank pressure is 45 pounds, and 
the direct pressure from the pumps is 50 pounds. The daily amount 
used is 40,000 gallons (124 taps) for domestic purposes and 10,000 
gallons for manufacturing purposes (3 taps). There are also 22 fire 
hydrants. The water is soft and the supply satisfactory. 

The springs emerge from the Providence sand member of the Ripley 
formation. (See analysis 2, Table 73.) 

Detailed information concerning a well (No. 5, Table 72) owned by 
C. H. Humber, located 3 J miles east of south of Lumpkin, is furnished 
by Mr. M. Walton. (See analysis 3, Table 73.) 

Log of well of C. H. Humber, 3% miles east of south of Lumpkin (No. 5, Table 72). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Eocene (?), Midway formation (?): 

Red clay 

White sand 

White rock 

Dry cavity 

Cretaceous (?), Ripley formation, Providence sand member (?): 

White, yellow ; and bluish sands, with interbedded thin layers of rock; water-bearing 
sands, especially at 145, 200, 245, and 290 feet, the latter being the principal one ; the 
last 100 feet contained more or less water throughout 



Feet. 

30 

100 

6 



190 



Feet. 
30 
130 
136 
144 



334 



Richland (population 1,250, census of 1910). — Richland owns a 
municipal water-supply system which obtains water from a well 425 
feet deep (No. 12, Table 72; for analysis see Table 73, analysis 4). 
The water is distributed from a tank the pressure of which is 52 
pounds; the direct pressure from the pump is 100 pounds; the length 
of the water mains is 4 miles. There are 75 taps and 35 fire hydrants. 
The water is somewhat sulphurous. As to both quality and quantity, 
the water supply is said to be satisfactory. 



STEWART COUNTY. 387 

Omaha. — On the plantation of W. C. Bradley, 5 miles north of 
Omaha, near Chattahoochee River, are four wells (Nos. 6 to 9, Table 72) . 
Three of these, located on the lowest Pleistocene terrace bordering 
the river, are 270 feet deep and afford flows; the fourth, located on 
higher ground, is 315 feet deep and does not flow; the water of this 
well is pumped by a windmill to a tank holding 15,000 gallons and is 
used for stock, fire protection, and other plantation purposes. All are 
believed to tap approximately the same water-bearing bed in the 
Eutaw formation. An analysis of the water from one of these wells 
is given in Table 73 (analysis 1). 

Daniel Bradley, who owns another well (No. 10, Table 72) in the 
same vicinity, furnishes the following log : 1 

Log of well of Daniel Bradley, near Julia (No. 10, Table 72). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Clay 

Sand 

Marl, with here and there a stratum of hard rock, water bearing at 475 feet. 



Feet. 
12 



Feet. 
12 
72 
740 



This well penetrates an undetermined thickness of strata referable 
to the Ripley formation, passes entirely through the Eutaw formation, 
and enters the uppermost Lower Cretaceous deposits. The principal 
water-bearing stratum, 475 feet deep, is probably in the irregularly 
bedded portion of the Eutaw formation below the Tombigbee sand 
member. 

Coffinton. — On another plantation, owned by W. C. Bradley near 
Comnton, a well 660 feet deep (No. 2, Table 72) flows 25 gallons per 
minute, supplying the needs of a large plantation on which there are 
about 250 tenants. Mr. Bradley states that there are several flowing 
wells in the area between Comnton and Omaha. 

Other localities. — The logs and descriptions of a number of dug wells 
which penetrate Cretaceous strata are given on the following pages. 
In each case the authority for the lithology is the owner unless 
otherwise stated : 

Log of well of J. B. Simpson, 2\ miles south of Lumpkin (No. 3, Table 72). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Eocene (?) : 

Red clay 

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Providence sand member (?): 

Soft "chalk" [clay] 

Sand, water bearing 



Feet. 
90 



Feet. 
90 



105 
106 



Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 165, 1908. 



388 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Log of well of W. S. Boyett, 4 miles west of Lumpkin (No. 4, Table 72). 

Eocene (?): Feet. 

Red clay 30 

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Providence sand member: 

"Chalk" [clay] white and pink ? 

Coarse sand with small rock (pebbles) ? 

"Chalk" [clay] ? 

Thick layer of white sand ? 

("And so on until water was struck.") 

70 

In another well, 132 feet deep, 25 yards from the preceding, water 
was obtained in coarse sand 128 to 132 feet below the surface. Prob- 
ably all the strata penetrated in this well below the red Eocene clay 
should be referred to the Providence sand member of the Ripley 
formation. 

Log of well of Mrs. Marian Glenn, 1 mile southeast of Brooklyn (No. 1, Table 72). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Eocene (?): 

Red clay with gravel rock [pebbles] 

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Providence sand member: 

"Chalk" [clay] 

White and yellow sand; some beds of rock 4 to 5 feet thick; water bearing at base 
(stopped on "chalk" [clay]) 



Feet. 
30 



Feet. 
?0 



40 
110 



A well 140 feet deep, 50 feet from the preceding, is said to have 
penetrated similar materials. 

G. L. Walton, of Charles, Ga., owns two wells, one 65 feet deep, 
near the station at the level of the track (Seaboard Air Line Railway) , 
and another 85 feet deep, seven-eighths of a mile east of the station, 80 
feet above the level of the track. Mr. Walton states that " the land 
is underlain with hard marl and no one in the neighborhood has ever 
been able to carry a well through it." This marl belongs to the 
typical marine portion of the Ripley formation. 

Log of well of E. H. Acker, 2 miles southwest of Charles. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation: 

Sand. . ." '. 

Hard dark-brown and gray streaked clay with one small layer of sand, water bearing 
(stopped on black marl) 



Feet. 
10 



Feet. 
10 



26 



Mr. Acker states that the black marl has been encountered in other 
wells in this neighborhood. 



STEWABT COUNTY. 



389 



Log ofivell of E. M. Averett, one-quarter of a mile east of Renfroes (No. 11, Table72). 
[Authority for lithology, C. V. Stephens, Renfroes.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Providence sand member: 

Sand, gray or white 

Light-yellow firm clay 

Soft yellow sand 

Sand and clay, water bearing 



Feet. 



Mr. Stephens states that 1J miles west of Renfroes blue marl is 
entered at 10 to 15 feet and that wells 90 feet deep have not penetrated 
its entire thickness. This marl belongs to the typical marine portion 
of the Ripley formation. 

Table 72. — Wells in Stewart County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 


1 


Brooklyn, 1 mile 

southeast of. 
Cofflnton, 1 mile 

southwest of, on 

the Rankin place. 
Lumpkin, 2J miles 

south of. 
Lumpkin, 4 miles 

west of. 
Lumpkin, 3J miles 

east of south of. 
Omaha, 5 miles north 

of. 
do 






J. M. G 1 e n n , 
Brooklyn. 


1889 
1911 

1890 

1886 

1912 

1895 

1895 
1895 
1895 


Feet. 
600 


9 


W. C Bradley, Col- 
umbus, Ga. 

J. B. Simpson 

W. S. Boyett 

C. H. Humber 

W. C. Bradley, Col- 
umbus. 
do 


John R. Chap- 
man, Colum- 
bus. 


215± 


s 


do 


600 


4 


Andrew Thomas, 
Lumpkin. 

Harper Reeves, 
Preston. 

L. B. Clay, Bar- 
tow. 

do 


do 


550 


5 

6 


M. Walton 


210 ± 


7 


do 


210± 


8 


do 


do 


do 


do 


210 ± 


q 


do 


do 


do 


do 




in 


do 






S. W. MeCalliea.. 




n 


Renfroes, J mile east 

of. 
Richland 






C. V. Stephens, 

Renfoes. 
S. W.McCalliea... 


1888 
1898 


660? 


12 


Town 




600 



No. 


Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 
9, 


Feet. 
110 
660 

106 
132 
334 

270 

270 
270 
315 
740 
60 
425 


Inches. 
36 
6 

48 
36 
2 

4.5 

4.5 
4.5 
4.5 
3 
36 
6 


Feet. 
110 
660 

106 
128 
290 


Feet. 

40 

60 

145 

200 

245 


Feet. 
-107 
+30 

-102 
-128 
-150 

+3 

+9 

+22 

-16 


Galls. 
25 


Galls. 


Rope and bucket . . 


Ferruginous and 
sulphurous. 


3 




4 










5 
6 


20 

30 
40 


20 


Deep-well pump. . 


See Table 73, analy- 
sis 3. 

Sulphurous and fer- 
ruginous. 
Do. 


7 






do 


8 








. .do .- 


Do. 


q 






35 




Do. 


10 


475 

57 






Strongly sulphurous. 

Soft. 

Sulphurous. See 
Table 73, anal- 
ysis 4. 


ll 
i? 




—56- 
-100 




Small. 
50 


Bucket and rope .. 
Steam pump 









a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 165, 1908. 



390 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 72. — Wells in Stewart County — Continued. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Providence sand 
member of Rip- 
ley formation. 

Providence sand 
member of Rip- 
ley formation ? 

Ripley formation 
(Providence 
sand member). 

Ripley formation. . 




Dug, cased; cost $50. See log, p. 388. 

Cost of well, $1,200; 6-inch casing to 
300+ feet. Furnishes water for 250 
tenants. 

Dug, cased 30 feet; cost $20. See log, 
p. 387. 

Dug, cased 30 feet. See log, p. 388. 

3-inch casing to 300 feet; cost of well 
and machinery, $360. See log, p. 386. 

(On lowest Pleistocene terrace.bordering 

Chattahoochee River; cost of wells 

< 6, 7, 8, and 9, each, $350. Wells cased 


2 


Domestic and 
boiler supply. 


do 

do 

Sand 


4 
5 


do 

do 


fi 


Domestic and 

boiler supply. 
do 


do 


7 


do 


do 


8 


do 


do 


do 


for 100 to 150 feet. 


q 


do 


do 


do 


[Not permitted to flow when not in use. 
On hill above river terrace, probably 

300 feet or more above sea level; cost 

of windmill, $250. 
See log, p. 387. 


in 


Domestic 


do 




11 


do 


Ripley formation 
(Pro v i d e n c e 
sand member). 


do 


Dug, partly cased; cost $3,600. See 
log, p. 389. 

Hard rock at 300 feet. 


i? 


Municipal supply . 













Table 73. — Analyses of underground routers from Stewart County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 














Feel. 




1 


June 


4,1911 


Wells of W. C. 
Bradlev. 


Omaha, 5 miles 
north of. 


Eutaw formation . 


270 


Edgar Everhart. 


2 


May 


5,1911 


Town springs . . 


Lumpkin, 1 mile 
southwest of. 


Ripley formation 
(P r v i d ence 
sand member). 




Do. 


3 


Jan. 


13,1913 


Well of C. H. 
Humber. 


Lumpkin, 3J 
miles east of 
south of. 


Ripley formation 


290 


Do. 


4 


Mar. 


28,1911 




Richland . 




Ripley formation . 


425 


Do. 


















in 


o> 


<D 


as 







^j 






































"m 


oM 


T3 


Ti 









> 












a 


"+ 


Fh 


l-i • 


-d 


■o . 




. 




d 


O 

S 

03 


a 

o 

>- 


03 
O 

I 

D 
o 
"ol 
O 


s 

.5 

a 

03 

a 


03 2, 

m 

CO 


SB 
a 



M 
03 




i 6 

offi 

03 


s 


^6 

03 w 

A 

ft 

03 


03 "]? 
nO 

08 


5 

a 

2 






Remarks. 


1 


26 


0.2 


12 


0.5 


62 


7.0 


170 


23 


0.2 


5.0 


197 


Wells 6, 7, 8, 9, Table 72. 


2 


4.0 


Tr. 


2.0 


.5 


5.0 


.0 


12 


Tr. 


1.2 


2.5 






3 


23 


4 


50 


4 


14 


.0 


198 


12 


.1 


3 


211 


Well 5, Table 72. 


4 


24 


1.1 


47 


4.4 


7.2 


.0 


178 


11 


3.0 


4.0 


209 


Well 12, Table 72. 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 391 
SUMTER COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Sumter County is in the western part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Americus, the county seat, is 62 miles southwest of Macon 
and 48 miles east of the Alabama line. The area of the county is 456 
square miles and the population (census of 1910) is 29,092. Agri- 
culture is the principal industry. Cottonseed-oil mills, fertilizer 
factories, and other small manufacturing plants are located at 
Americus. Lumbering and turpentining, though declining in impor- 
tance, are still carried on. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The northern part of the county is somewhat hilly and broken, 
owing to the rapid erosion of underlying unconsolidated sands and 
clays; the western part, in the vicinity of Plains, is nearly level; the 
southwestern and eastern parts are slightly undulating and less broken 
than the northern; the southeastern part is nearly flat, is covered 
with a few feet of loose gray sand, and contains many lime sinks and 
cypress ponds. Flint River, which forms the eastern boundary, is 
bordered by two Pleistocene terrace plains, the "swamp" or second 
bottoms lying 10 to 15 feet and a sand-covered plain less clearly 
denned lying 50 to 75 feet above the river. 

Flint River, Muckalee and Kinchafoonee creeks, and their numerous 
small tributaries drain the county. Flint River rises in the Pied- 
mont Plateau and is always more or less turbid from suspended silt 
and clay. The other streams originate in the Coastal Plain and flow 
through shallow swampy valleys; their waters are dark, owing to 
their high content of organic matter. 

The known elevations above sea level are Americus, 360 feet; 
Andersonville, 394 feet; and Sumter, about 372 feet. The highest 
land in the northern part of the county probably lies 400 or 450 feet 
above sea level, and the lowlands along Flint River probably lie 
about 200 feet above the same datum plane. 

GEOLOGY. 

The surface formations of the county are of Tertiary age and belong 
in part to the Eocene and in part to the Oligocene. The Eocene 
deposits, which have not been accurately discriminated, consist of 
sands, clays, marls, and limestones several hundred feet in thickness. 
They outcrop in the north and northwest, and extend southward in 
the valleys of Flint River, and of Muckalee and Kinchafoonee creeks, 
to or beyond the southern boundary of the county. 



392 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Surface observations in this and adjoining counties seem to indicate 
that the Eocene deposits are divisible in ascending order into the 
Midway and Wilcox formations, the Claiborne group, and the Jack- 
son formation. However, the interpretation of the age of the strata 
penetrated in city well No. 4 at Americus, as given in the partial log 
on pages 394-395, indicates that at Americus the total thickness of the 
Eocene is only 200 feet, and that at least 157 feet of this thickness 
belongs to the Jackson formation. If this be true only 43 feet of 
strata remain to represent the Midway and Wilcox formations and 
the Claiborne group, which, according to the evidence afforded by 
surface outcrops, intervene between the Cretaceous and Vicksburg 
formations. Either great unconformities exist which cut out some of 
the formations locally, or the formations have not been correctly 
correlated. 

Over the central, southern, and southeastern parts of the county 
the Vicksburg formation (Oligocene) appears at the surface except in 
the immediate valleys of the larger streams. The terrane, which 
consists mainly of heavy-bedded, soft, cavernous, water-bearing 
limestones and interbedded water-bearing sands 200 to 250 feet thick, 
weathers to red argillaceous sands which at many places contain 
masses of fossiliferous flint. Pleistocene terrace deposits have been 
laid down in small areas bordering Flint River. 

The Eocene deposits are underlain by 800 to 1,000 feet of sands, 
clays, and marls (Ripley formation of the Upper Cretaceous), which 
do not appear at the surface within the county. 

The Ripley formation is underlain by several hundred feet of 
undifferentiated strata of Cretaceous age, which rest upon a deeply 
buried basement of ancient crystalline rocks. The Cretaceous 
deposits contain important water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The principal sources of domestic water supply are dug and bored 
wells from 20 to 100 feet deep. The waters are soft and are of good 
quality if the wells are properly curbed or cased to prevent contami- 
nation from surface sources. Artesian wells are preferable, how- 
ever, because they afford less opportunity for pollution and are less 
apt to be affected by drought. 

Artesian wells have been drilled at Americus, near Huguenin, at 
Leslie, old Danville, Plains, and Sumter, and near Andersonville. 

Small springs are fairly numerous in the northern part of the county 
and many of them are perennial. In Americus a portion of the 
water supply is taken from small springs, and in the rural districts 



SUMTER COUNTY. 393 

springs are used locally for domestic supplies. The spring waters 
usually contain less mineral matter than the artesian waters, but 
many of them are rather strongly ferruginous. The better-known 
springs are Magnolia, Myrtle, Sweetwater, and Providence, the latter 
being the historic spring of the Confederate prison at Andersonville. 

The waters of streams and ponds are used locally for watering stock 
and for boiler supply. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,000 
feet or more. In the south large supplies may be obtained from cavi- 
ties or beds of sand in the Vicksburg formation at depths of 250 feet 
or less. The Eocene deposits, which underlie the Vicksburg forma- 
tion in the south and come to the surf ace in the north, contain water- 
bearing beds, and beneath the Eocene at still greater depths the 
Cretaceous deposits carry numerous important water-bearing beds. 
The prospects are good for obtaining flowing wells along Flint River 
at elevations less than 75 feet above low-water level and in the low- 
lands south of Americus. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Americus (population 8 r 063, census of 1910). — At Americus the 
public water supply is derived in part from artesian wells and in part 
from springs. The city artesian wells are four in number and are 
located on the north side of Town Creek one-half mile north of the 
county courthouse. (See PI. XX, B, p. 240.) 

Well No. 1 is 337 feet deep, and the water stands within 65 feet of 
the surface. The casing rusted out and was recently replaced to a 
depth of 245 feet, but was prevented from going deeper by an obstruc- 
tion. The water in the well at the time of Mr. Veatch's visit (April, 
1911) was turbid, and when the pumps were started large quanti- 
ties of gray lignitic quartz sand were forced out. 

Well No. 2 is 450 (?) feet deep and the water rises to within 60 feet 
of the surface. Originally the water stood within 16 feet of the sur- 
face, but wells subsequently drilled to about the same depth at the 
Central of Georgia Railway station and at the fertilizer factory are 
believed to have caused the static head to sink to its present position. 

Well No. 3 is about 700 feet deep and yields a slight flow above the 
surface. 

Well No. 4 was drilled in 1907 (?) and is 992 feet deep, 10-inch 
casing was inserted to 226 feet, 8-inch casing to 402 feet, and 6-inch 
casing to 962 feet. The principal water-bearing bed is between 962 
and 992 feet and the water rises to within 60 feet of the surface. 
From data and a few samples in the office of J. B. Ansley, superin- 
tendent of the city waterworks, Mr. Veatch has prepared the fol- 
lowing log: 



394 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Log of city ivell No. 4, Americus (No. 4, Table 74). 



Thick- 
ness. 


Depth. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


10 


10 


60 


70 


8 


78 


2 


80 


26 


106 


4 


110 


3 


113 


2 


115 


29 


144 


3 


147 


5 


152 


5 


157 


23 


180 


45 


225 


8 


233 


22 


255 


20 


275 


34 


309 


4 


313 


8 


321 


17 


338 


20 


358 


18 


376 


166 


542 


3 


545 


112 


657 


10 


667 


20 


687 


15 


702 


188 


890 


72 


962 


30 


992 



Sand 

Bluish and drab sandy micaceous clay 

Coarse white sand, water bearing 

Gravel 

White glauconitic sandy 1 imestone ; fragments or shells; % Ostrea 

Limestone containing shells and corals (?) 

Flinty formation, contains shells 

Slightly glauconitic shell marl 

Black clay 

Medium-grained sandlike material consisting chiefly of fragments of limestone with scat 

tered quartz grains and some glauconite 

Very sandy glauconitic limestone; shells 

Sandy limestone or calcareous sandstone 

Clean white sand, water hearing 

Gray micaceous very sandy clay 

Hard calcareous quartzite 

Marl (probably sandy clay) 

Sand, gravel, and conglomerate 

Fine white sand and gravel , 

Flint (quartzite) containing shells 

Fine brownish sand, some shell marl 

Fine white sand, water bearing 

Flint (quartzite) and shell conglomerate 

Fine gray sand containing a little clay 

Soft limestone rock 

Fine sharp sand, water bearing 

Very fine quartz sand, water bearing 

Soft black marl (clay) 

Sand 

Marl (clay) 

Fine gray sand. This stratum flows 8 gallons a minute 

Marl (clay) containing a small amount of fragments of shells; bottom of casing 

Water-bearing strata 



Since the preceding log was prepared Mr. Stephenson has obtained 
from Mr. Ansley a partial set of well borings of well No. 4, on the basis 
of which the following partial log has been prepared : 

Partial log of city well No. 4, Americus (No. 4, Table 74). 

[Total depth, 992 feet.] 
Eocene: 

Jackson formation (?): Feet. 

Brown very sandy clay at 60 

Light-gray very coarse sand 60- 68 

Jackson formation : 

Gray sandy limestone with numerous fragments of 
shells, chiefly Grypheea sp.; contains also the bryo- 
zoan Idmonea maxillaris Lonsdale * 80-106 

Small fragments of slightly glauconitic sandy limestone 
with numerous fragments of shells and some scattered 
grains of quartz sand 113-115 

Loose, medium-grained, sandlike material consisting 
chiefly of fragments of limestone with scattered grains 
of quartz and some glauconite; contains Heteropora 
sp. nov. 1 . . . 144-147 

Mixture of fragments of sandy, slightly glauconitic 
limestone, fragments of shells, and quartz sand; con- 
tains Heteropora sp. nov. 1 (same species as in the pre- 
ceding sample) and Lunatia eminula Conrad 2 141-152 

1 Identified by R. S. Bassler, who states that the age indicated is Jackson (Eocene). 

2 Identified by T. W. Vaughan, who states that the age indicated is Eocene. 



SUMTEB COUNTY. 395 

Eocene — Continued. Feet. 

Coarse clear quartz sand with numerous fragments of 

gray sandy limestone 152-157 

Eocene (?): 

Not represented by sample but probably Eocene 157-180 

Coarse gray argillaceous, micaceous, calcareous sand, with 
angular pebbles up to one-quarter of an inch in length; 

possibly a basal conglomerate 180-200 

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation (?) : 

Dark-gray sandy, micaceous, calcareous clay with frag- 
ments of shells 200-225 

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation: * 

Fragments of hard gray calcareous, fossiliferous sandstone 
and a few loose shells and fragments of shells; recognized 
Breviarca sp. Nemodon?, Ostrea tecticosta Gabb?, Cardium 
sp., Crassatellites sp. , Lithophaga sp 225-238 

Fragments of gray calcareous sandstone and fragments of 
shells; recognized Exogyrasp., Anomia argentaria Morton, 
Anomia lintea Conrad 255-273 

Yellow fine-grained quartz sand 273-309 

Fragments of hard calcareous sandstone and numerous frag- 
ments of shells; recognized Ostrea tecticosta Gabb and 
Ostrea subspatulata Forbes ? (young individual) 309-313 

Mixture of yellow sand, fragments of hard gray calcareous 
sandstone, fragments of dark-gray shaly clay, and frag- 
ments of shells; recognized Ostrea tecticosta Gabb, Exo- 
gyra sp., Anomia argentaria Morton, Anomia lintea Con- 
rad, Lima reticulata Forbes ? 313-321 

Fine gray sand containing numerous fragments of hard gray 
calcareous sandstone and a few fragments of shells ; recog- 
nized Cheilostomatous bryozoa (identified by E. O. Ul- 
rich), Exogyra sp., and Anomia argentaria Morton 358-376 

The city springs are on the west side of Town Creek, north of the 
city wells and \\ miles north of the courthouse. They issue from a 
ferruginous quartz sand which outcrops at the base of the hills along 
the edge of the creek swamp. There were, originally, several natural 
springs at this locality, but the 42 so-called springs now in use have 
been developed by sinking shallow holes and are really shallow wells. 
Each spring is walled in the manner of a cistern or well and is covered 
by an iron lid which is kept closed and locked to prevent contamina- 
tion. The water (150 gallons per minute) flows by gravity from the 
springs to the pumping station at the city artesian wells. The 
spring waters are probably safe, but will probably be contaminated 
if many more houses or factories are built in the vicinity. 

Waters from wells Nos. 1 and 4 and from the city springs were 
analyzed (Table 75, analyses 1, 2, and 3). The two well waters, 
which are similar in composition, would be classed as hard and, on 
account of their high calcium content, are poor for boiler supply unless 
softened; each emits a slight odor of hydrogen sulphide. The spring 

1 Fossils identified by L. W . Stephenson except as otherwise indicated. 



396 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

waters are softer and contain much less mineral matter than the well 
waters. 

There are several other artesian wells in the vicinity of Americus. 
One, owned by the Central of Georgia Railway, located near the 
station on the lowland along Town Creek, is reported to be 480 feet 
deep. It flows a small stream. 

A well was drilled in 1883 on the present site of Windsor Hotel. 
Reports differ as to its depth; McCallie 1 states that it was 1,725 feet 
deep and that at 1,000 feet water was encountered which rose to within 
30 feet of the surface. The well was abandoned because it did not 
flow. 

A well on the public square is reported to be 900 feet deep and is 
nonflowing. 

The log of a well (No. 11, Table 74) owned by Dr. P. F. Bahnsen, 
1£ miles south of Americus, has been furnished by the owner as 
follows : 

Log of well of Dr. P. F. Bahnsen, 1\ miles south of Americas. 
[Authority, J. J. James, driller.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Red clay 

Sand and clay mixed 

Sand, water bearing 

Purple clay '. , 

Sand and blue marl 

Blue marl 

White limestone in hard and soft layers; water-bearing cavity at a depth of 177 feet. 



Feet. 
15 
25 
20 
20 
10 
40 
50 



Feet. 
15 
40 
60 
80 
90 
130 
180 



The water-bearing cavity at 177 to 180 feet is probably in limestone 
of the Jackson formation. An analysis of the water is given in Table 
75 (analysis 4). 

A well owned by T. B. Hooks, 5 miles southeast of Americus, is 
reported to be 450 feet deep. The water stands within 40 feet of 
the surface and is said to be hard; when exposed to the atmosphere 
an oily scum probably due to iron oxide appears on the surface. 
Rock was encountered at 40 feet, but the principal water supply is 
said to come from sand at a depth of 340 feet. The water is pumped 
by means of a gasoline engine and supplies a plantation. 

McCallie 2 gives the following additional well data: 

In addition to the wells above described there are two wells near the city limits 
of Americus, one of which is owned by Mr. E. C. Speer and located 1J miles north 
of Americus. This well is 4 inches in diameter and 212 feet deep. The water, 
which is said to be apparently inexhaustible, rises to within 102 feet of the sur- 
face and is used for drinking purposes, also to supply a ginnery and a sawmill. 
The other well, owned by Messrs. Perry & Brown, is 2\ miles southeast of Americus. 

> Georgia Geol. Survey Bull*. 15, p. 166, 1908. 
2 Idem, pp. 168, 169. 



SUMTER COUNTY. 



397 



Itis 284 feet deep and 4 inches in diameter. The water rises to within 100 feet of the 
surface. Both the Speer well and the Perry & Brown well are located on elevated 
ground, which accounts for the low static head of the water. Hard rock is reported in 
the Perry & Brown well at 270 feet. Above the rock occur sands, clays, and marls. 
The principal water supply is said to come from a cavity 2 or 3 feet deep in the rock at 
the bottom of the well. A second water-bearing stratum is reported at 100 feet, but 
this is cased off, and the only water used is from the first-mentioned stratum. The 
water, which is elevated by the means of a deep-well pump, operated by a windmill, 
is used for general farm purposes. It is said to contain iron and sulphur. 

Plains (population 400, census of 1910). — The town of Plains has 
no water-supply system but owns a deep well from which a part of 
the inhabitants obtain their domestic water supply. The well, 
drilled in 1910, is near the Seaboard Air Line Railway station and 
is 244 feet deep and 3 inches in diameter. The water, which is hard 
and ferruginous, is said to come from a cavity at 243 feet and rises to 
within 85 feet of the surface; it is lowered 10 feet by pumping 10 
gallons per minute. T. J. James furnishes the following log of 

the well: 

Log of the town well at Plains. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Clay 

Sand and clay 

Purple marl (clay) 

Blue mar] (clay) 

Sand with black specks, water bearing 

Blue marl (clay) 

Rock 

Thin layers of rock and marl 

Rock 

Thin layers of rock and white marl with hard flinty places (clay) 



Feet. 
20 
60 
. 10 
60 
10 
10 
10 
40 
10 
14 



Feet. 
20 
80 
90 
150 
160 
170 
180 
220 
230 
244 



Eight wells in and near the town range in depth from 244 to 280 feet 

A well owned by J. D. Clark and T. J. Spann is 265 feet deep and 

is cased to a depth of 150 feet; the water probably comes from the 

upper part of the Midway formation. (See analysis 5, Table 75.) 

The following is an approximate log : 

Log ofioell of J. D. Clark and T. J. Spann, Plains. 



Sand and clay 

Compact bluish or grayish argillaceous sand or sandy clay 

Sand and ' ' marl ' ' or clay with some shell rock 

Thin layers of hard rock, limestone ( ?) ; water bearing 



Thick- 
ness. 



Feet. 
90 
75 
75 
25 



Depth. 



Feet. 
90 
165 
240 
265 



Magnolia Spring. — Magnolia Spring, which has a local reputation, 
is about 3 J miles north of Plains. The yield has not been accurately 
measured but is, perhaps, 30 or 35 gallons per minute. The water 
issues from a gray argillaceous, micaceous, slightly calcareous sand 



398 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

(Wilcox), containing iron sulphide and bits of lignitic matter, which 
outcrops in a small valley near the head of a small creek. The water 
is slightly sulphurous and is rather hard and high in iron; it is, 
however, a wholesome drinking water. (See analysis 6, Table 75.) 

Sumter. — A well owned by H. J. Webb, one-half mile south of 
Sumter, is 308 feet deep. The principal water-bearing bed is reported 
to be at the bottom, and the water stands within 26 feet of the surface. 
The water is described as clear "with a little sulphur," and is used 
for general domestic and farm purposes. 

Huguenin. — Wells at Huguenin are described by McCallie * as 
follows : 

The Huguenin wells, located on the Huguenin plantation near Flint River, in the 
extreme southeastern part of Sumter County, are several in number, but only one 
furnishes a flow. Mr. J. M. Johnson, of Macon, Ga., the present owner of the Huguenin 
plantation, states that the flowing well on his property is located at Huguenin station, 
1 mile west of Flint River. This well is 4 inches in diameter and 167 feet deep; it 
flows 10 gallons a minute. Mr. Johnson reports six or seven other wells on the property 
varying from 75 to 220 feet in depth, but they are all located on high ground and are 
nonflowing. 

Andersonville. — A well near Andersonville is described by McCallie x 
as follows: 

The Andersonville well, which is located on A. F. Hodges's farm, near Anderson- 
ville, is 244 feet deep and 3 inches in diameter. The water rises to within 132 feet of 
the surface. The well is cased to a depth of 200 feet and is supplied with a deep-well 
pump, operated by a windmill. The water, which is said to be wholesome, is used for 
general domestic and farm purposes. Mr. Hodges was unable to give a complete rec- 
ord of the well, but he states that a thick bed of kaolin was penetrated at a depth of 
perhaps 100 feet from the surface. 

A spring of both historic and scientific interest is located at the 
site of Andersonville prison. It illustrates one of the ways in which 
springs originate, for it was formed during the Civil War, while the 
prison was in use, by a heavy rain which washed a gully on one of the 
slopes within the stockade deep enough to intersect a water-bearing 
stratum. 

Old Danville. — The well near Old Danville is described by McCallie * 
as follows: 

Mr. C. S. S. Home's well, located near Old Danville, was completed in 1900. The 
well is 3 inches in diameter and 355 feet deep. The water, which rises to within 90 
feet of the surface, is said to come from a porous rock, first struck at about 300 feet. 
The static head of the water is lowered by long-continued pumping. The well is 
cased to hard rock at 114 feet. 

Leslie. — Wells at Leslie are described by McCallie 2 as follows : 

Leslie has several bored wells, varying from 100 to 125 feet in depth. These wells 
are all small and are reported to have struck hard rock at 50 feet. The water rises to 

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 169, 1908. - * Idem, p. 170. 



SUMTER COUNTY. 



399 



points varying from 14 to 40 feet from the surface, depending upon the location of the 
well. Long pumping is said to lower the static head of the water. The water-bearing 
stratum is sand which occurs near the bottom of the well. 

Table 74. — Wells in Sumter County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


1 


Americus, No. 1 


City '. 








Feet. 
360 


9 


do 




do 




360 


3 




do 




do 




360 


4 




do 




do 


1907? 
1883 


360 


5 








S. W. McCallieo.. 


360 


6 


Americus (public 
square). 


City 




360 


7 


Central of Georgia 

By. 

E. C. Speer 




S. W. McCallieo.. 




348 


8 


Americus, 1J miles 

north of. 
Americus, 2J miles 

southeast of. 
Americus, 5 miles 

southeast of. 
Americus, 1£ miles 

south of. 
Andersonville (near). 
Huguenin, 1 mile 

west of F lint River. 




do... 






q 






do 






10 
11 


T. B. Hooks 

Peter F. Bahnsen. . . 
A. F. Hodges 


Wm. Brewer 

J. J. James, Sum- 
ter. 


T. B. Hooks 


1907 
1912 




1? 


S. W. McCallieo .. 


394 


13 












14 












1=i 


Old Danville (Flint 
River). 


C. S. S. Home 




S. W. McCalliea.. 
T J. James 


1900 
1910 




16 




James Edwards. 




17 


.do 


J. D.Clark and T.J. 




18 


Sumter, J mile south 
of. 


Spann. 
H.J. Webb 


M. N. Brewer, 
Dawson. 


H.J.Webb 


1906 







Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 
of 

water 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
337 

450? 
700± 
992 

1,725 
900? 
480 
212 

284 

450 
180 

244 

167 
160 
355 

244 

265 
308 


Inches. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 
65 

60 


Galls. 


Galls. 




See Table 75, anal- 


2 














ysis 1. 
Slightly hard. 
Hard. 


3 














4 


10 

4 


962-992 
1,000 


(?) 


60 
30 








Hard: see Table 75, 


s 








analysis 2. 


6 










7 


















8 


4 

4 

4 
5 

3 

4 






102 
100 

40 
80 

132 










q 


284 

340 
177-180 


100 

40-60 






Windmill, deep- 
well pump. 
Gasoline engine. . . 
Electric motor 

Windmill, deep- 
well pump. 

Flows 

Force pump 


Ferruginous and sul- 


10 






phurous. 
Hard. 


11 






See Table 75, anal- 


i? 






ysis 4. 


13 






10 


10 




14 






15 

90 
85 


Hard. Severalwells. 


15 


3 
3 


300-355 
243 


150 
240-265 




16 

' 17 




10 


Gasoline engine, 
deep-well pump. 


Hard, ferruginous. 
See Table 75, analy- 


18 


2 


308 


26 








sis 5. 
Soft. 













a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 166-169, 1908. 



b See log, p. 394. 



400 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 74. — Wells in Sumter County — Continued. 



Use. 



Municipal supply 



.do. 
.do. 
.do. 



Boilers of locomo- 
tives. 

Domestic, boiler 
supply. 

Domestic 



....do 

Drinking 

Domestic and farm 



Domestic, manu- 
facturing. 
Domestic 



.do. 



Domestic . 



Principal water bed. 



Geologic horizon. 



Ripley formation. . 

Ripley formation? 
Upper Cretaceous. 
Cretaceous 



Cretaceous? 

Ripley formation. 

Eocene? 



Eocene or Ripley 
formation. 

.....do 

Jackson formation? 
Ripley formation ? 
Eocene 



Vicksburg forrha- 

mation? 
Eocene? 



Midway forma- 
tion? 

do 

Eocene? 



Character. 



Cavity in rock 

Sand 

Cavity below rock. 



Sand 

Porous rock. 



Cavity with some 

sand. 
Thin layer of rock. 



Remarks. 



Cased to 245 feet. 



10-inch casing to 226 feet; 8-inch casing 
to 402 feet; 6-inch casing to 962 feet. 
See logs, pp. 394-395. 

Abandoned. 



Cost of well, $480. 

5-inch casing to 125 feet. See log, p. 396. 
3-inch casing to 200 feet. 
Also 6 or 7 nonflowing wells 75 to 220 
feet deep. 



Water lowered by pumping; 3-inch cas- 
ing to 114 feet. 

Cost of well, S268; 2-inch casing to 185 
feet. See log, p. 397. 

2-inch casing to 285 feet. Cost of well, 



Table 75. — Analyses of underground ivaters from Sumter County. 
[Parts per million.] 



Date of 
collection. 



Source. 



Location. 



Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 



Depth. 



Analyst. 



Apr. 19,1911 

....do 

....'do 



Dec. 16,1912 
Apr. 20,1911 

....do 



City well No. 1.. 

City well No. 4. . 

Springs (part of 
municipal sup- 
ply). 

Well of Peter F. 
Bahnsen. 

Well of J. D. 
Clark and T. J. 
Spann. 

Magnolia Spring. 



Americus 

....do 

....do 

Americus, 1£ miles 

south of. 
Plains 



Plains, 3£ miles 
north of. 



Ripley forma- 
tion. 

Cretaceous 

Jackson forma- 
tion? 

do 



Feet. 
337 



962-992 



Midway forma- 
tion? 

Wilcox forma- 
tion. 



177-180 
240-265 



Edgar Everhart. 

Do. 
Do. 



Do. 
Do. 

Do. 













w 


» 


s> 


« 


a 




■3 




































■c? 


i 


aw 


T3 


-3 


03^, 






> 
o . 






O 
53 


& 

a 


.2 


a 

3 

'g 

a 


* iz; 

la 


o 


go 


03 w 

,3 

P. 


.5. 


O 
o 

.2 ' 


"3 


Remarks. 


6 




o 




8" 




03 


u 


3 


S 


3 


o 




5 


CO 


H 


a 


S 


<w 


O 


5 


W 


£ 


o 


H 




1 


16 


0.4 


46 


2.0 


5.0 


0.0 


171 


Tr. 


Tr. 


3.5 


170 


Well 1, Table 74. 


2 


25 


1.0 


49 


5.0 


10 


2.0 


171 


12 


0.3 


3.0 


200 


Well 4, Table 74. 


3 


17 


.6 


2.0 


1.0 


5.0 


.0 


17 


Tr. 


Tr. 


3.0 


50 




4 


34 


10 


32 


9.0 


16 


.0 


176 


13 


.0 


4.0 


209 


Well 11. Table 74. 


5 


27 


3.0 


34 


3.0 


8.0 


.0 


134 


6.0 


1.5 


3.5 


179 


Well 17, Table 74. 


6 


30 


4.5 


46 


5.0 


6.4 


.0 


171 


10 


1.0 


2.5 


212 


See pp. 397-398. 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 401 
TALBOT COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Talbot County is in the western part of Georgia on the border 
between the Piedmont Plateau and the Gulf Coastal Plain. Its area 
is 312 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 11,696. 
Agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

A small tract in the southern part of the county, less than one- 
fourth of the total area, is included within the physiographic division 
known as the fall-line hills. The remainder lies within the Piedmont 
Plateau. 

The Coastal Plain area is hilly and the hills are more or less smoothly 
rounded in outline with a probable maximum topographic relief of 
300 to 350 feet. The existing topography has resulted from the 
dissection of the northernmost border of the Coastal Plain upland. 
Much of the surface is blanketed with loose gray residual or slightly 
wind-shifted or torrent-shifted sand. Drainage is through the head- 
water streams of Upatoi Creek, a tributary of Chattahoochee River, 
and the headwater streams of Whitewater Creek, a tributary of 
Flint River. 

GEOLOGY. 

Lower Cretaceous deposits are the only sediments of the Coastal 
Plain represented. They appear in a belt of country 3 to 6 miles 
wide along the southern border of the county and consist of irregu- 
larly bedded coarse arkosic sands, with subordinate lenses of light- 
colored massive clays. They rest upon the southward-sloping surface 
of crystalline basement rocks and attain an estimated thickness of 
300 or 400 feet. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.) 

In texture, composition, and structure the Lower Cretaceous deposits 
are admirably suited to carry waters of excellent quality, though 
they probably contain them in only moderate quantities. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

In the Coastal Plain area nearly all water for domestic use is 
obtained from dug wells, which so far as reported do not exceed 70 
feet in depth, and from small springs. The source of the water is the 
Lower Cretaceous deposits. 

The waters from most wells and springs are soft and contain only 
small amounts of dissolved mineral matter. Locally they are more or 
less ferruginous and sulphurous. 
38418°— wsp 341—15 26 



402 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The log of a well one-half mile east of Geneva, the lithology of which 
is furnished by the owner, J. F. Downs, shows 50 feet of hard red 
gravel with some " chalk" (white clay) and some sand, water bearing 
in lower 5 feet. 

Small headwater streams furnish an abundance of excellent water 
for stock and for steam production. 

In the southern part of the county moderate quantities of soft 
water are obtainable at depths of 100 to 300 feet from beds of sand 
in the Lower Cretaceous deposits. 

TATTNALL COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Tattnall County is in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia, its southeastern boundary being about 50 miles from the 
Atlantic coast. Its area is 642 square miles and its population is 
18,569 (census of 1910). Agriculture and the production of lumber 
and naval stores are the chief industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The surface of the upland is rolling to hilly in the north and gently 
rolling to nearly level in the south. Its elevation above sea level 
is estimated to be 175 to 250 feet. Altamaha River, which forms 
the southwestern boundary, has cut its gradient down to less than 
75 feet above sea level and is bordered by two relatively narrow 
Pleistocene terrace plains, one lying 10 to 15 feet and the other 40 to 
50 feet above low-water level. 

The small streams which dram the county flow sluggishly through 
shallow valleys and in many places are bordered by swamps. In 
the south cypress ponds, gum ponds, and bays are common. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Alum Bluff formation (of Oligocene age), which consists of 100 
feet or more of sands and bluish or whitish clays, locally indurated, 
outcrops in the valleys of Altamaha and Ohoopee rivers, and underlies 
the remainder of the county beneath undifferentiated younger 
deposits. 

The Alum Bluff formation is overlain by 100 or 150 feet of irregu- 
larly bedded, locally indurated coarse sands with sandy clays, which 
are mapped as of undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene age. 
These surficial materials are the source of the water obtained in shal- 
low wells. 



TATTNALL COUNTY. 403 

Pleistocene terrace deposits have been laid down in small areas 
along Altamaha River. 

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by the Vicksburg forma- 
tion, which contains water-bearing beds. At Claxton, according to 
a set of borings obtained from a well owned by N. H. Thaggard (see 
p. 404), limestones, in part water bearing, were encountered between 
the depths 365 and 550 feet. Fossil Bryozoa were obtained from the 
borings, which R. S. Bassler says are related to the bryozoan fauna 
obtained from upper Jackson (Eocene) strata at Wilmington, N. C, 
but may indicate either the Jackson or Vicksburg age of the con- 
taining strata. On the evidence of the contained Nummulites, T. W. 
Vaughan correlates this portion of the section with the Vicksburg 
formation. 

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by undifferentiated deposits 
of Eocene and Cretaceous age, which at an unknown depth, perhaps 
2,500 feet or more, are believed to rest upon a basement of ancient 
crystalline rocks. 

Both the Eocene and Cretaceous deposits contain important 
water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug and driven wells 15 to 30 feet deep are the chief sources of 
domestic water supply. These wells yield soft waters, which if prop- 
erly protected from surface pollution are wholesome. Artesian wells 
have been drilled at Reidsville, Claxton, Collins, Hagan, and Manas- 
sas. Small seepage springs are numerous but unimportant. The 
water of streams is used for stock, for the boilers of railway locomo- 
tives, and for steam production at sawmills. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 
of 100 to 1,500 feet or more. At most places supplies sufficient for 
general domestic purposes can be obtained from the Alum Bluff 
formation at depths less than 200 feet and are apt to be softer than 
those from the underlying Tertiary limestones. Flowing wells can 
probably be obtained in the valleys of the larger streams. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Reidsville (population 454, census of 1910). — The town of Reids- 
ville owns a public water-supply system which obtains water from 
an artesian well 275 feet deep. The well is 6 inches in diameter 
and yields 40 gallons per minute by pumping. The water, which 
is probably derived from the Alum Bluff formation, rises to Within 
60 feet of the surface. 

A sample from this well, 'collected February 14, 1913, was analyzed 
by Edgar Everhart as follows : 



404 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



Analysis of water from the 275-foot town well at Reidsville. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 72 

Iron (Fe) 5. 

Calcium (Ca) 13 

Magnesium (Mg) 7. 

Sodium and potassium (Na+K) 12 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 86 

Sulphate radicle (SO.,) 11 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) Trace. 

Chlorine (CI) 4. 

Total dissolved solids 165 

Claxton (population 1,008, census of 1910). — At Claxton water for 

domestic use is obtained chiefly from shallow dug and bored wells. 

The following log of an artesian well owned by N. H. Thaggard, 

completed in 1905, has been adapted from a published log by Fuller 

and Sanford. 1 

Log of well of N. H. Thaggard, Claxton. 

[Samples received from the Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., Charleston, S. C; United States Geological 

Survey well No. 589.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Orange and red pebbly sand with ferruginous nodules 

Stiff red clay 

Fine white sand, water bearing, with a little white clay 

Soft "shell formation " 

Brownish-gray sandy marl 

Stiff blue marl 

Tough gray rock 

Gray sandy marl (probably gray sandy clay) 

Very hard gray rock 

Soft blue marl 

Very hard rock 

Tough marl ". 

Very hard rock 

Brownish-gray sandy marl 

Hard white rock 

Fine white sand 

Hard brownish limestone; contains Nummulites sp. (numerous), Orbitoides sp. (cf. O. 

stellata), and Orbitoides sp 

Hard brownish-gray marl 

Hard gray rock 

Marl and rock 

Hard rock 

Soft "shell formation"; contains Nummulites and Orbitoides; waterbearing 

Hard brownish limestone and dark-gray shale; contains Nummulites and Orbitoides. . . 
Brownish limestone with soft layers; contains Nummulites and Orbitoides; waterbearing 



Feet. 

3 
. 7 
50 
10 
50 
25 
10 
20 

5 
40 

5 

25 
20 
40 
40 
15 

5 
10 
20 
52 

8 
45 

5 
36.5 



Feet. 
3 

10 

60 

70 
120 
145 
155 
175 
180 
220 
225 
250 
270 
310 
350 
365 

370 
380 
400 
452 
460 
505 
510 
546.5 



Diameter of well, 8 inches; length of casing, 452 feet; water stands 80 feet below surface. Well yields 
3 gallons per minute for each foot; head is depressed. Present yield, 100 gallons per minute. Tempera- 
ture, 75° F. 

The well penetrates the late Oligocene ( ?) beds and the Alum Bluff 
and Vicksburg formations. A partial set of borings, on file in the 
office of the United States Geological Survey (well No. 589), show 
that the well reached a depth of 550 instead of 546.5 feet. From 
borings in this set between 365 and 550 feet specimens of fossil 
Bryozoa were obtained, which R. S. Bassler says are related to the 

1 Fuller, M. L., and Sanford, Samuel, Record of deep-well drilling for 1905: TJ. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 
298, pp. 201, 202, 1906. 



TATTNALL COUNTY. 405 

bryozoan fauna of Jackson age obtained from limestones at Wilming- 
ton, N. C, but may indicate either the Jackson or Vicksburg age of 
the containing strata. The specimens of Nummulites and Orbitoides 
indicated in the log were identified by J. A. Cushman. According 
to T. W. Vaughan, the presence of Nummulites probably indicates 
the Vicksburg age of the strata between 365 and 550 feet. 

Collins (population 327, census of 1910). — At Collins water is 
obtained chiefly from shallow dug and driven wells. Two artesian 
wells have been reported, one 180 and the other 800 feet deep. In 
the 800-foot well, according to McCallie, 1 the water rises to within 142 
feet of the surface and is reported to come from a water-bearing 
stratum near the bottom of the well. 

The following log of the 180-foot well, which is owned by the Pine 
Product Co., has been prepared from a set of well borings on file in the. 
office of the United States Geological Survey (well No. 213): 

Log of iv ell of the Pine Product Co., Collins. 
[Samples sent by W. F. Hamilton.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Dark purplish, rather coarse argillaceous sand 

LighMtrown, rather coarse argillaceous sand 

Pink-tinted coarse argillaceous sand, slightly indurated 

Light-red coarse, slightly argillaceous, slightly indurated sand 

Pink-tinted coarse loose sand 

Light-gray coarse loose sand 

Chunks of gray and pink-tinted coarse argillaceous, slightly indurated sand 

Light-gray coarse loose sand 

White sandy clay or kaolin 

White clay or kaolin 



Feet. 

2 
12 
22 

6 

18 
35 
16 
22 
17 
30 



Feet. 

2 

14 

36 

42 

60 

95 

111 

133 

150 

180 



The well penetrates late Oligocene? beds and a portion of the 
Alum Bluff formation. 

Other localities. — McCallie 2 gives the following data on wells at 
Hagan and Manassas: 

The Hagan well, put down by the Perkins Lumber Co. in 1900, is 3 inches in diameter 
and 447 feet deep. The water rises to within 60 feet of the surface. Water-bearing 
strata are reported at 230 and 447 feet. The following is a partial section of the well: 

[Log of well of Perkins Lumber Co., at Hagan.] 

Feet. 

Grayish sand 0- 20 

Reddish sandstone 20- 28 

White pipe clay and sand 28-120 

Blue marl and sand 120-230 

The Manassas well, owned by Mrs. M. F. Cummings, was completed in 1895, at a 
cost of $450. It is 6 inches in diameter and 480 feet deep. The water rises to within 
109 feet of the surface. Three or four water-bearing strata are reported, the main 
supply of water coming from near the bottom of the well. 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 170, 1908. 2 Idem, p. 171. 



406 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 76. — Wells in Tattnall County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


1 
? 




N. H. Thaggard 
Pine Product Co... 


Hughes 

Co., C 

B.Z. M 


Specialty Well Drilling 
larleston, S. C. 


Drillers .« 

W. F. Hamilton. 


3 


do 

Hagan 






S. W. McCallie.6 


4 








Do. 


s 




M. F. Cui 
Town 






Do. 


6 


Reidsville 






H. H. Elders, mayor. 








No. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


Depth. 


Diameter. 


Depth 
to prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to other 
water- 
bearing 
beds. 


Level 

of water 

below 

surface. 


Yield 
per min- 
ute by 
pumping. 


How obtained. 


1 
?, 


1905 
1905 

1900 
1895 
1906 


Feet. 

238 
238 

217 


Feet. 

546J 

180 

800 

447 

480 

275 


Inches. 

8 


Feet. 
460-505 


Feet. 
510-546J 


Feet. 
80 


Galls. 
100 




3 


8 
3 
6 
6 






142 
60 

109 
60 






4 




230, 447 






a 


480 
275 






6 




40 


Steam-engine air-lift 
pump. 











No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 

Alum Bluff forma- 
tion. 
Eocene? 


Shell marl 


The depth according to well borings at 


?, 






IT. S. Geol. Survey (No, 589) is 550 
feet. See log, p. 404. 
See log, p. 405. 


3 








4 




Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 
do 




Do. 


5 








6 


Municipal supply. 


Alum Bluff forma- 
tion. 




Cost of well, $500; of pump, $300. See 
analysis, p. 404. 







«U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 298, pp. 201, 202, 1906. 
b Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 170-171, 1908. 



TAYLOR COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 



Taylor County is in the west-central part of Georgia on the border 
between the Piedmont Plateau and the Gulf Coastal Plain, its area 
is 343 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 10,839. 
The chief industry is agriculture. 



TOPOGRAPHY. 



The northern part of the county, embracing somewhat less than 
half the total area, is included in the Piedmont Plateau, and the 
remainder, from a few miles north of the Central of Georgia Railway 
southward, lies within the Coastal Plain. 



TAYLOR COUNTY. 407 

The county is drained by Flint River through its tributaries, White 
Water, Patsiliga, and smaller creeks. The surface of the Coastal 
Plain is hilly, the existing topography having resulted from the dis- 
section of an upland plain. The maximum topographic relief is 
probably between 325 and 350 feet. The area forms a part of the 
physiographic division known as the fall-line hills. In general, the 
hills have rounded outlines, and their tops and slopes are blanketed 
by a nearly universal covering of residual though more or less wind- 
shifted or torrent-shifted sand. 

GEOLOGY. 

The surface of the crystalline rocks which outcrop in the Piedmont 
Plateau area slopes southward beneath the deposits of the Coastal 
Plain. The latter deposits are all of Cretaceous age. Lower Creta- 
ceous deposits, which consist of 500 or 600 feet of coarse, irregularly 
bedded arkosic sands with subordinate lenses of light-colored 
massive clays, rest upon the crystalline rocks, and appear at the sur- 
face in a belt several miles wide extending east and west through 
the center of the county. These are unconformably overlain by 
Upper Cretaceous sands and clays of shallow-water origin, which 
appear at the surface over the remainder of the county south of the 
belt of outcrop of the Lower Cretaceous deposits. The Upper Cre- 
taceous strata belong to the Ripley formation and chiefly to the 
Cusseta sand member of that formation. In the western part of the 
county it is believed that representatives of the Eutaw formation of 
the Upper Cretaceous intervene between the Lower Cretaceous 
deposits and the Cusseta sand, but these have not been accurately 
differentiated. The combined thickness of the Upper Cretaceous 
sediments within the county is probably 500 or 600 feet. (See 
PL III, p. 52.) 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

In the Coastal Plain section water for domestic purposes is obtained 
chiefly from dug wells 15 to 160 feet deep and from springs. The 
waters are generally of good quality except where contaminated 
from local surface sources. The wells tap water-bearing beds in 
strata of Lower Cretaceous or Upper Cretaceous age. 

The springs are usually small but where conveniently located 
afford waters of satisfactory quality for domestic purposes. The 
largest spring reported, which yields 28 gallons per minute, is a mile 
north of Reynolds and is owned by G. T. Rurhn, of Reynolds. The 
water has been piped to Reynolds and is used in boilers by several 
small factories and by a few families. 



408 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Spring waters are utilized for steam production at a few small saw- 
mills and gristmills. At several sawmills the combined flow from 
several closely adjoining springs is used to operate small water-power 
plants. 

Small creeks and headwater branches afford abundant supplies of 
excellent water for stock and for steam production. 

The Cretaceous beds outcropping in the southern part of the 
county, which include representatives of both the Lower and Upper 
Cretaceous, are favorable physically to the retention of large quan- 
tities of water. Prospects for obtaining artesian water supplies from 
these sources at reasonable depths are good at all points south of the 
Central of Georgia Railway. 

It may be possible to obtain flowing wells at the lowest levels of 
the valleys of Whitewater and Cedar creeks in the extreme southern 
part of the county, but elsewhere flows are scarcely to be expected. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Reynolds (population 521, census of 1910). — McCallie * has pub- 
lished the following partial section and description of the materials 
penetrated in a well (No. 8, Table 77) drilled to a depth of 700 feet 
at Reynolds: 

Partial log of well of Central of Georgia Railway at Reynolds {No. 8, Table 77). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Yellow sand 

Variegated clay. 
Sand 

White clay 

Coarse gravel 

Reddish sand . . . 

White clay 

Yellow sand 



Feet. 
6 
25 
3 
3 
4 
3 
18 
14 



Feet. 
6 
31 
34 
37 
41 
44 
62 
76 



At 600 feet a hard dark-colored rock is reported, which extends to the bottom of the 
well. This hard stratum is probably the crystalline rock which outcrops along Flint 
River about 7 miles north of Reynolds. The water from the 75-foot water-bearing 
stratum is said to be quite soft. It is used by the Central of Georgia Railway for 
steam purposes. 

The strata described in the log are of Lower Cretaceous age. 
The log of a dug well (No. 9, Table 77) owned by A. J. Crawford, 
with lithologic descriptions furnished by the owner, is as follows: 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 171-172, 1908. 



TAYLOR COUNTY. 



409 



Log of well of A. J. Crawford, 600 yards southeast of the post office at Reynolds (No. 9, 

Table 77). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Lower Cretaceous: 

Sandy soil 

Clay 

" Chalk " ( white clay ) and clay 

Coarse sand with some water at base 

Alternating layers of clay, rock, and mud, furnishing a small amount of water at base 



Feet. 
4 
7 
12 
10 
47 



Feet. 



Other localities. — Detailed information concerning several of the 
deeper dug and bored wells is given in Table 77 (Nos. 1 to 7, 9, and 10). 
The logs of three of these wells follow: 

Log of well of J. L. Whitley, 1% miles north of Mauk (No. 7, Table 77). 
[The owner is authority for the lithology.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Upper Cretaceous: 

Ripley formation (Cusseta sand member): 

Sand 

Clay 

Sand 

"Chalk " (clay) 

Sand 

Eutaw formation ( ?): 

Black marly "chalk" (clay) 

Formation (?): 

" Chalk" (clay) and sand, water bearing in basal 2 feet. 



Feet. 



Feet. 



5 


13 


25 


38 


4 


42 


18 


60 


13 


73 


52 


125 



Log of well of George Ruffin, 1\ miles east of Mauk (No. 6, Table 77). 
[Authority for the lithology, J. A. Steed, Mauk.] 

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Cusseta sand member: Feet. 

Clay ? 

Sand ? 

"Chalk" [clay] and sand ? 

Coarse sand % - ? 

White pebble rock ? 

90 



Log of well of W. G. Hill, three-eighths of a mile north of Southland (No. 10, Table 77). 
[The owner is authority for the lithology.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Cusseta sand member: 
Sand 

"Chalk" (white clay) and clay 

Fine sand of various colors, water bearing in lower 2 feet 



Feet. 

3 

9 

63 



Feet. 



410 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 77. — Wells in Taylor County. 



Location. 



Owner. 



Driller. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 



Butler. 



Charing 

Charing, \ mile north 
of. 

Charing, 1| miles 
northwest of. 

Mauk, £ mile north- 
east of. 

Mauk, 1 £ miles east of. 

Mauk, li miles north 
of. 

Reynolds 



M. T. Chapman. 



J. T. Garrett 

T. C. Bloodworth. 



Walton Watson. 
W.A. Woodall.. 



George Ruffin. 
J. L. Whitley. 



J. B. Watson 
(deceased). 

Orange Howell, 
Paschal. 



J. W. Riley, But- 
ler. 

Owner 

H. H. Rogers, 
Charing. 

Owner , 



1906 
1909 



C. E. Wall, Mauk. 

J. A. Steed, Mauk. 
Owner 



Feet. 
650? 

%\ 

(o) 

( c ) 



1885 
1910 



(d) 



.do. 



Central of Georgia 

Ry. 
A. J. Crawford 



Southland, f mile 
north of. 



W. G. Hill. 



Amos Turner, 
Reynolds. 



S. W. McCalliee. 

Owner 

do 



1909 
1906 



433 
433 



(/) 



No. 


Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
below 
surface. 


Yield per minute 
by pumping. 


How obtained. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 

45 

74 

72 
160.5 

80 

90 

125 

700 
80 
75 


Inches. 

48 

30 

12 

36 

48 

/ 48 

\ ft 36 

/ 36 

\ ft 30 

4 

30 

32 


Feet. 
40 
72 
70 
160 
80 

} 60 
} 123 

33 
73 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Small 


Bucket and rope 

do 


Soft. 


?, 


45-65 




do 


Do. 


3 


70 


do 


do 




4 


do 


do 


Do. 


5 






do 


....do 




fi 






do 


Pumps 




7 


38 

75, 250 
80 


123 

75 

79.5 

73 


do 


Bucket and rope 

Steam pump 


Do. 


8 




Do. 


9 


Very small 






10 


...do 















No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Boiler supply 


Lower Cretaceous. 




Dug. 


9, 




Dug. Cost, S50. 
Bored. Cost, $19. 


3 


do 


do 




4 


do 


do 




Dug. 


fi 


....do 


do 




Do. 


fi 


...do... 


do 


Gravel and sand . . 
Sand 


Dug. Cost of well, $30; of pump, $22. 
See log, p. 409. 


7 


do 




8 


Boiler supply 


do 


See log, p. 409. 


9 


do 


Sand 


walled with brick. See log, p. 408. 
Dug crooked and not used. Cost, $40. 


10 


Domestic 


Ripley formation 
(Cusseta sand 
member). 


See log, p. 409. 








Cost, $30. See log, p. 409. 



a On hill. 

b On upland. 

c On hill slope. 

d Elevation same as Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic R. R. track at station. 

e Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 171, 172, 1908. 

/Elevation 60 feet higher than Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic R. R. track at station. 

g Diameter at top of well. 

ft Diameter at bottom of well. 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 411 
TELFAIR COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Telfair County is in the central part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. 
McRae, the county seat, is on the Southern Railway 78 miles 
south of Macon. Ocmulgee River forms the southern boundary and 
Little Ocmulgee River or Gum Swamp the eastern boundary. The 
area of the county is 373 square miles and the population is 13,288 
(census of 1910). Agriculture and the shipment of lumber and naval 
stores are the chief industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The upland is gently rolling to hilly. Streams are numerous, but 
their valleys are shallow, and the maximum surface relief probably 
does not exceed 150 feet. The county falls within the physiographic 
division called the Altamaha upland or wire-grass region. Ocmulgee 
River is bordered by two Pleistocene terrace plains, one a swamp 
about 15 feet above low-water level and the other a nearly level 
plain about 50 feet above the same datum. These plains are easily 
distinguished at Lumber City, the town being built upon the higher 
one. They are also fairly well developed along Little Ocmulgee 
River from its mouth upstream as far as Scotland. 

The known altitudes above sea level at railroad stations are 
McRae, 229 feet; Scotland, 142 feet; Towns, 128 feet; Lumber City, 
146 feet; and low water, Ocmulgee River at Southern Railway 
bridge, 94.5 feet. 1 

GEOLOGY. 

The Alum Bluff formation (Oligocene), which consists of 100 feet 
or more of soft sandy clays and sands, in part water bearing, with 
interbedded thin layers of sandstone and quartzite, outcrops in the 
valleys of Ocmulgee River and its larger tributaries. One hundred 
feet or less of irregularly bedded sands and clays, probably of late 
Oligocene age, overlie the Alum Bluff formation and constitute the 
surface materials in the interstream areas. They weather to loose 
gray or yellow sands. 

Pleistocene terrace deposits have been laid down in narrow areas 
bordering Ocmulgee River. 

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by 500 feet or more of 
limestones with interbedded layers of calcareous sandstone and marl 
which probably represent in descending order the Chattahoochee 
and Vicksburg formations of the Oligocene, and the Jackson forma- 
tion of the Eocene. These formations contain water-bearing beds. 

i Survey of Ocmulgee River, Ga., sheet 14: H. Doe. No. 215, Slst Cong. 



412 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

Beneath the limestones in descending order are a series of sedi- 
ments of Eocene and Cretaceous age which probably have an aggre- 
gate thickness of 1,500 feet or more and which rest upon a deeply 
buried basement of ancient crystalline rocks. These deposits con- 
tain important water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The main sources of domestic water supply in the rural districts 
are dug wells 10 to 50 feet deep, which penetrate the Pleistocene 
terrace deposits, the soft surficial sands and clays, and the Alum 
Bluff formation. These deposits yield soft waters in sufficient quan- 
tities to supply the needs of the people except during times of unusual 
drought, when some of them fail. 

Nonflowing artesian wells have been drilled at Helena and McRae, 
and flowing wells at Lumber City, Towns, and Scotland. Small 
seepage springs are fairly numerous, but most of them are of little 
importance. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,000 
feet or more. It is believed possible to obtain flowing wells in the 
valleys of the larger streams wherever the surface is not more than 
50 or 60 feet above low-water level. The areas of possible flow 
probably embrace only the terrace plains bordering Ocmulgee and 
Little Ocmulgee rivers, and the lowlands along the lower courses of 
Sugar and Horse creeks. (See PI. XVIII, p. 122.) In most places in 
the county supplies sufficient for ordinary purposes can be obtained 
at less than 500 feet. However, in view of the excellent quality 
of water obtained in the 900-foot well at the McArthur planta- 
tion, 5 miles east of Lumber City, it might be advisable to drill 
wells of comparable depth elsewhere in the county in the hope of 
encountering the same or similar water-bearing beds. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Helena (population 890, census of 1910). — Helena is in the north- 
eastern part of the county at the junction of the Seaboard Air Line 
and the Southern railways. Three artesian wells have been drilled 
for the Helena ice factory, two for public wells, one for the Coca-Cola 
Bottling Works, and one for the cotton ginnery. These wells range 
in depth from 220 to 350 feet, and the water rises to within 70 or 
75 feet of the surface. Sand, drab fine-grained clay (the "marl" 
of the well driller), and thin layers of hard rock are encountered to 
350 feet. The yield of the wells is small. (See analyses 1 and 2, 
Table 79.) 



TELFAIR COUNTY. 413 

McRae (population 1,160, census of 1910). — McRae has a public 
water-supply system, the source being an artesian well 287 feet 
deep. The water rises to within 70 feet of the surface. The well 
doubtless penetrates strata of the same age as those in the Helena 
wells. 

Scotland. — Scotland is on a terrace plain bordering Little Ocmul- 
gee River 142 feet above sea level and about 100 feet lower than 
Helena. Four flowing wells, ranging in depth from 140 to 196 feet, 
have been drilled, one owned by the town and three by individuals. 
The maximum static head is 26 feet above the surface. Clear, cool, 
and moderately hard but potable water is yielded by each of the 
wells. A mineral analysis of the water from a well 160 feet deep, 
owned by A. Graham, is given in Table 79 (analysis 4). 

Towns. — Nine artesian wells, ranging in depth from 150 to 185 
feet, drilled at or near Towns, tap water-bearing beds in the Alum 
Bluff formation. A well 185 feet deep, owned by the town, is located 
on a terrace plain bordering Little Ocmulgee River about a foot 
below the level of the track at the Southern Railway station. Water- 
bearing beds were encountered at depths of 65 and 185 feet, from 
which hard sulphurous water rises 30 feet above the surface. 

Lumber City (population 1,195, census of 1910). — Lumber City is 
on a terrace plain 50 to 60 feet above low-water level of Ocmulgee 
River. The elevation at the Southern Railway station is 146 feet 
above sea level. The water supply of the town is derived mainly 
from artesian wells. 

According to information furnished by J. F. Wooten, a well con- 
tractor of Lumber City, 22 flowing wells have been drilled at and 
near this place, which have an average depth of 425 feet and yield 
flows ranging from 10 to 80 gallons per minute, the maximum static 
head observed being 14 feet above the surface. The principal water- 
bearing bed is at 425 feet, but a bed yielding a flow lies at about 320 
feet. Rock, probably limestone, is reported at a depth of 360 feet. 
Apparently the yield of the wells has not decreased. 

McCallie 1 has published the following log of one of the wells at 
Lumber City: 

Log of well at Lumber City. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Top soil 

Red clay 

Coarse sand 

Hard blue clay with a few layers of sandstone 

Quicksand 

Limestone with water-bearing seams from 380 to 430 feet; limestone containing fragments 
of marl 



Feet. 
4 

16 

10 

220 

100 

80 



Feet. 
4 

20 

30 

250 

350 

430 



i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 172, 1908. 



414 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

An analysis of water from the town well is given in Table 79 
(analysis 3). 

The wells at Lumber City probably tap water-bearing beds belong- 
ing to either the Chattahoochee or the Vicksburg formation. 

Shamrock Springs. — Shamrock Springs is a local resort on Little 
Ocmulgee River (or Gum Swamp Creek) 1£ miles east of Helena. 
The accommodations include a hotel and small cottages. Several 
small springs emerge from the base of a sand hill at the edge of the 
swamp Two flowing artesian wells on the edge of the swamp afford 
the chief water supply. According to unpublished notes of McCallie 
each well is 140 feet deep and has a static head of 12 feet above the 
surface; the combined yield of the wells is 150 gallons per minute. 
The water, which has reputed therapeutic properties, is a typical 
calcium carbonate water of moderate mineral content. An analysis 
is given in Table 79 (analysis 5). 

Table 78. — -Wells in Telfair County. 



No. 



Location. 



Owner. 



Driller. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 



Helena 



do 

Lumber City 

McRae 

Towns 

Scotland 

do 

Shamrock Springs, H 

miles east of Helena. 

do 



McRae Coca Cola 
Bottling Co. 

Helena Ice Co 

Town 

....do 

....do 



H. F. Thaxton. . 



J. P. Wootten... 



A. Graham. 



J. F. Wootten.. 



J. F. Wootten.... 
S. W. McCallie a. 

J. M. Towns 

J. F. Wootten.... 



1903 



S. W. McCallie b . 
....do 6 



Feet. 
247 



146 
230 
128 
142 



No. 



Depth. 



Diam- 
eter. 



Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water 
bed. 



Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 



Level 
of 

water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 



Yield per 
minute. 



Flow. 



Pump. 



How obtained. 



Quality . 



Feet. 
250 
220 

c425 
287 
185 

cl95 
160 
140 
140 



Inches. 
4 



Feet. 
250 



Feet. 



Feet. 
-50 



Galls. 



Galls. 
8+ 



Force pump. 



425 

287 
185 
190 



320 

200 

65 



+ 14 
-70 
+30 
+26 



10+ 



Flows 

Force pump. 

Flows 

....do 



+12 
+12 



75? 
75? 



Flows. 
....do. 



Analysis 1, Table 79. 
Analysis 2, Table 79. 
Analysis 3, Table 79. 

Hard. 
Do. 

Analysis 4, Table 79. 

Analysis 5, Table 79. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 172, 1908. 



b Unpublished notes. 



: Average. 



TERRELL COUNTY. 
Table 78. — Wells in Telfair County — Continued. 



415 



Use- 



Principal water bed. 



Geologic horizon. 



Character. 



Remarks. 



Bottling works ... 

Manufacture of ice. 

Domestic and 

boiler supply. 

Municipal supply . 

Domestic and 

boiler supply. 



.do. 



Oligocene? . 



Porous rock. 



do 

C h a 1 1 a hoochee 
or Vicksburg 
formation. 

Oligocene? 

Alum Bluff forma- 
tion? 



.do. 



Porous limestone . 



Rock and sand. 



Rock. 



Drinking. 
....do... 



Oligocene 

Alum Bluff forma- 
tion? 
....do 



Cost of well $250; cost of machinery, $100- 

Five other artesian wells. 
Owns two other similar wells. 
21 other artesian wells have been drilled 

at or near Lumber City. Cost, $300 

to $1,000. See log, p. 413. 

Cost, $200. Diameter at top, 4 inches; 

at bottom, 2 inches: 8 other artesian 

wells have been drilled at Towns. 

Average depth, 175 feet. Average 

cost, about $300. 
3 other artesian wells have been drilled; 

average cost, $300. 



Table 79. — Analyses of underground waters from Telfair County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Date of col- 
lection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 












Feet. 




1 


Apr. 18,1911 


Well of McRae 


Helena 


Oligocene? 




^50 


Edgar Everhart. 






Coca Cola Bot- 
tling Co. 
Well of Helena 
Ice Co. 












?, 






.do 


do 




220 












cal Co. 


3 






Lumber City 






4?5 


Edgar Everhart.** 








Vicksburg for- 
















mation. 








4 


Apr. 17,1911 


Well of A. Gra- 


Scotland 


Oligocene 




160 


Do. 


5 


Nov., 1907 


ham. 
Flowing well 


Shamrock 
Springs. 


Alum Bluff for- 
mation? 




140 


Do. 


















<p 


<D 


a> 


o 




o 


■a 




















o 


o 








fl 












^ 










■d 


■d 


o 


o 




s 


> 






2 
33 


£ 


< 

a 
1 


"e3 

o 

a- 


a 




I 






X) 


■a . 
03 "S 
uO 


5 


as 

cS c3 

.2 a 


o . 

■31 


Remarks. 


d 


C3 


a 

o 


a 


'o 


a 


-8 


C3 
O 


S 


(3 
Q 


ft 


c3 


o 

3 


,2 


C3 
O 




'A 


0Q 


1— ( 


< 


O 


y 


TO 


Ph 


o 


pq 


ca 


2 


o 


> 


H 




1 


44 


2.0 




43 


8.0 


1{ 


! 


2.5 


207 


2.0 


Tr. 


10 




262 


Weill, Table 78. 


2 


30 


1.36 




46 


8.0 


11 


78 




14 




18 


4.0 


210 


Well 2, Table 78. 


3 


8.3 


17 6 




40 


5.1 


8.1 1 2.6 


58 




30 




10 




180 


Well 3, Table 78. 


4 


38 


.4 




54 


6.0 


12 


Tr. 


246 


2.0 


0.5 


8.0 




272 


Well 7, Table 78. 


5 


43 


.1 


0.1 


62 


9.8 


7.1 1 1.7 




221 


4.7 




10 




251 


Well 9, Table 78. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey BuU. 15, pp. 172, 173, 1908. 

TERRELL COUNTY. 



6Fe20 3 +Al 2 3 . 



GENERAL FEATURES. 



Terrell County is in the western part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. 
Dawson, the county seat, is at the intersection of the Seaboard Air 
Line and the Central of Georgia railways, 66 miles southeast of 



416 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Columbus and 98 miles southwest of Macon. The area of the county 
is 322 square miles and the population is 22,003 (census of 1910). 
Agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

In the north the surface is rolling to hilly and the land well drained; 
the creeks and branches have cut their courses 100 to 150 feet below 
the divides. In the south the surface is slightly hilly to nearly level; 
the creeks are bordered by broad swamps, and lime sinks and cypress 
ponds are common. 

The general upland surface lies 300 to 485 feet above sea level, 
the highest elevation being in the north. The known altitudes above 
sea level at railroad stations are Parrott, 482 feet; Dawson (Sea- 
board Air Line Railway), 376 feet; Dawson (Central of Georgia Rail- 
way), 326 feet; Sasser, 336 feet; Central of Georgia Railway bridge, 
Kinchafoonee Creek, 265 feet; and Central of Georgia Railway bridge, 
Ichawaynochaway Creek, 283 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

Deposits of Eocene age outcrop in the valley of Ichawaynochaway 
Creek in the west and in the valley of Kinchafoonee Creek in the 
northeast, and underlie the remainder of the county beneath the 
younger (Oligocene) Vicksburg formation. The Eocene beds con- 
sist of several hundred feet of sands and clays locally indurated. 
They have not been accurately differentiated within the county, 
but it is believed that their basal portion represents the Midway 
formation, which does not appear at the surface within the county. 
The Wilcox formation probably overlies the Midway and appears 
at the surface in the valley of Ichawaynochaway Creek in the extreme 
west; the Wilcox is overlain by about 150 feet of strata believed to 
represent the Claiborne group. The Eocene deposits contain impor- 
tant water-bearing beds. 

The Vicksburg formation, which consists of limestones with inter- 
bedded sandy layers, overlies the Eocene deposits and appears at 
the surface throughout the remainder of the county; the formation 
weathers to red argillaceous sands and sandy clays containing frag- 
ments and masses of flint. The thickness of the formation in the 
north is 50 to 100 feet, but southward it becomes thicker, reaching 
200 or 250 feet along th esouthern border, where it becomes an impor- 
tant aquifer. 

The Eocene deposits are underlain by 1,800 or 2,000 feet of sands, 
clays, and marls of Cretaceous age which do not appear at the sur- 
face within the county and which at an unknown depth, perhaps 
2,000 or 2,500 feet, rest upon crystalline basement rocks. The Cre- 
taceous deposits contain important water-bearing beds. 



TERRELL COUNTY. 417 



WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 



Dug and bored wells 20 to 80 feet deep are the chief source of 
domestic water supply. Of the two types, the bored wells are pref- 
erable, for if properly cased they afford less opportunity for contami- 
nation from surface sources. The shallow wells yield small supplies 
and some of them fail during times of drought. Artesian wells have 
been drilled at Dawson, Graves station, Parrott, and Sasser. There 
are no large springs in the county, but in the north small springs are 
numerous and supply water for household use on small farms. The 
waters of streams are suitable for stock and boiler supply. 

The prospects are good for obtaining artesian water anywhere in 
the county at depths of 100 to 1,500 feet or more, and it is probable 
that flowing wells can be obtained on the lower lands bordering 
Kinchafoonee, Ichawaynochaway, and Chickasawhatchee creeks. 



LOCAL SUPPLIES. 



Dawson (population 3,827, census of 1910). — The town of Dawson 
owns a water-supply system and obtains water from a deep well. 
C. D. Marshall and F. W. McNulty, of Dawson, have furnished the 
following information : 

The well was drilled in 1903, is 447 feet deep, and is 8 inches in diam- 
eter at the bottom. The water rises within 36 feet of the surface and 
is lifted to the surface by means of an air-compressor pump at the 
rate of 500 gallons per minute. The water is used for general domes- 
tic and manufacturing purposes. (See analysis 1, Table 81.) The 
well described probably taps a water-bearing bed in the upper part 
of the Cretaceous deposits (Ripley formation). 

Spencer x describes another well drilled by the town at an earlier 
date. The water, which rises nearly to the surface, is obtained by 
a hand pump and is used locally for drinking and domestic purposes. 
The depth to the principal water-bearing bed is not known, but the 
well probably enters the Ripley formation. (See analysis 2, Table 
81.) Spencer gives the following log: 

Log of old toivn well at Dawson. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Clayey white sand 

Coarse sand 

Limestone, followed by sand and rock. 
Quicksand 



Feet. 

40 

40 

570 

10 



Feet. 

40 

80 

650 

660 



1 Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 79, 1891, 
38418°— wsp 841—15 27 



418 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Parrott (population 360, census of 1910). — At Parrott water for 
domestic use is obtained chiefly from a well 300 feet deep, in which 
the water rises to within 65 feet of the surface. The daily consump- 
tion is about 8,000 gallons, and the supply is said to be satisfactory. 
A few shallow wells are in use. 

Graves station. — Wells near Graves station have been described by 
McCallie * as follows: 

Two deep wells have been put down near Graves station, one by Mr. J. B. Graves 
and the other by Mr. W. D. Davidson. The former well is 3 inches in diameter and 
321 feet deep. Water rises to within 50 feet of the surface. Several layers of hard 
rock, 20 feet thick, are reported in this well, and a marl bed at 150 feet. No data have 
been received concerning the Davidson well. 

Sasser. — Wells in the vicinity of Sasser are described by McCallie * 
as follows: 

There are several nonflowing deep wells in the vicinity of Sasser. They vaiy from 
214 to 540 feet in depth and furnish a copious supply of water, rising from 28 to 60 
feet from the surface. Mr. M. N. Brewer, a well contractor, has kindly furnished the 
following record of Mr. J. H. Wooten's well, located 2 miles southwest of Sasser: 

[Log of well of J. H. Wooten, 2 miles southivest of Sasser (No. 7, Table SO).] 

Feet. 

Clay « 0-50 

Red sand 50-80 

Limestone 80- 90 

White sand, water bearing 90-120 

Limestone 120-130 

White clay 130-140 

Limestone, with thin layers of flint 140-147 

Fine white water-bearing sand 147-160 

Hard rock, water bearing ; 160-165 

Bluish sand ,.. 165-225 

Limestone with thin layers of flint : 225-260 

Gray marl 260-300 

Hard rock 300-303 

White water-bearing sand 303-310 

Limestone with layers of flint 310-340 

Blue marl 340^28 

Hard flint 428-131 

Gray marl and white clay 431-504 

Hard rock, water bearing 504-530 

Another well, 7 miles east of Sasser, owned by Mr. J. M. King, attains a depth of 
only 214 feet. Water-bearing strata are reported in this well at 96, 150, and 214 feet, 
respectively. The water from the 214-foot stratum rises to within 28 feet of the surface. 

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 175, 1908. 



TERRELL COUNTY. 



419 



Table 80. — Wells in Terrell County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 


1 








S. W. McCalliea.. 




Feet. 
326 


2 


Dawson, £ mile north- 
east of. 






C. D. Marshalland 

F.W.McNutty. 

S. W. McCalliea . 


1903 


326 


3 






379? 


4 


Town 










5 








S.W. McCalliea... 




336 


fi 


Sasser, 7 miles east of. 
Sasser, 2 miles south- 
west of. 


J. M. King 










7 


J.H. Wooten 


M. N. Brewer 











Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
660 

447 

321 

300 

214-540 

214 

530 


Inches. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 
30 

36 

50 

65 

28-60 

28 

1 


Galls. 


Galls. 


Hand pump 

Air-lift pump 


Hard; see analysis 2, 

Table 81. 
See analysis 1, Table 

81. 


2 
3 


8 
3 


447 






500 


4 








12 






<i 












6 




214 
304-530 


96, 150 

f 90 

147 

i 160 

I 303 










7 












1 











No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Domestic, boiler 
supply. 

Domestic, manu- 
facturing. 


Ripley formation?. 
do 


Sand 


9 other deep wells in vicinity. See log, 
p. 417. 

Diameter at top 10 inches and at bot- 
tom 8 inches. Cost of well, $1,000; 
machinery, $7,000. 


2 




s 






4 




do 






5 




do 






6 










7 




Eocene? or Creta- 
ceous? 




See log, p. 418. 









a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 173-175, 1908. 



420 UNDERGROUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Table 81. — Analyses of well waters from Terrell County. 

[Paris per million. 



Silica (SiO;) 

Iron (Fe) 

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe 2 03+Al 2 3 ). 

Calcium (Ca) 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Sodium (Na) 

Potassium (K) 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) 

Chlorine (CI) 

Total dissolved solids 



27 
.4 



39 

6.0 

14 

.0 
176 
12 

.4 
3.0 
202 



23 

""."6 
43 
3.4 

7.6 
1.4 



120 
24 



8.2 
174 



1. Well No. 2, Table 80; sample collected Mar. 29, 1911. Edgar Everhart, analyst. 

2. Well No. 1, Table 80; Edgar Everhart, analyst: Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 174, 1908. 

THOMAS COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Thomas County is in the extreme southern part of the State in 
the tier of counties bordering Florida. Its area is 530 square miles 
and its population is 29.071 (census of 1910). 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

In the north the surface is nearly level to slightly undulating, the 
topographic aspect being somewhat similar to that of Colquitt, Tift, 
and other counties of the wire-grass section to the north and east; 
the broad interstream areas are poorly drained, and topographically 
the region is in a youthful stage of development. 

In the south the relief is somewhat more pronounced than in the 
north, and lime sinks and lime-sink lakes and ponds are numerous; 
and the surface is more completely drained. 

The streams are small and flow sluggishly. Their waters are dark 
from their high content of organic matter. 

The maximum surface relief of the county probably does not ex- 
ceed 100 or 125 feet. The known altitudes at railroad stations are 
Thomasville, 250 feet; Boston, 194 feet; Metcalf, 170 feet; Ochlocko- 
nee, 262 feet; and Meigs, 341 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Chattahoochee formation (of Oligocene age), which consists 
of approximately 100 feet of cavernous, water-bearing limestones, 
underlies the entire county, but appears at the surface only in the 
valleys of Aucilla and Miccosukee rivers and in lime sinks in the 
south. 

The Chattahoochee formation is overlain by 100 to 150 feet of 
sands and greenish or drab sandy clays belonging to the Alum Bluff 



THOMAS COUNTY. 421 

formation (also of Oligocene age) which outcrops in the valleys of 
Aucilla and Miccosukee rivers in the south and in the valley of Och- 
lockonee River along the northwestern boundary; this formation 
contains water-bearing beds. 

Throughout the interstream areas of the county the Alum Bluff 
formation is overlain by irregularly bedded argillaceous sands and 
sandy clays, probably nowhere more than 75 feet thick, that are 
probably also of Oligocene age. These materials weather to loose 
gray residual sands which cover the surface to a depth of several feet. 

The Chattahoochee formation is underlain by 200 feet or more of 
cavernous water-bearing limestones, which do not appear at the sur- 
face within the county and which belong to the Vicksburg formation 
of the Oligocene. 

Beneath the Vicksburg formation in descending order he strata of 
Eocene and Cretaceous age, probably aggregating 2,000 feet or more, 
the Cretaceous probably resting on a basement of ancient crystalline 
rocks. The Eocene and Cretaceous deposits contain important water- 
bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug wells 10 to 60 feet deep are the chief source of domestic water 
supply and furnish an abundance of water except during times of 
drought, when some of them fail. The waters of streams and ponds 
are soft and satisfactory for boiler supply, though they are highly 
colored by organic matter. 

Deep wells have been drilled at Thomasville, Boston, Pavo, and 
Metcalf. (See Table 82.) 

A few small springs scattered throughout the county yield pure 
waters in sufficient quantities for local domestic use. AUgood Spring, 1 
the largest reported, is near Meigs in the northwestern part of the 
county and has a flow estimated at 100 gallons per minute. 

Artesian water, can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 2,000 
feet or more. The results of deep drilling seem to show that flowing 
wells can not be obtained, although it does not seem improbable that 
wells 1,000 feet or more in depth on the lowlands bordering the 
larger streams would flow. It would of course be necessary to case 
off the cavernous Oligocene and Eocene limestones, which would 
otherwise drain away the deeper-seated waters. 

Wells tapping water-bearing beds in the cavernous limestones of 
the Chattahoochee formation are at certain places liable to contami- 
nation through lime sinks. Such wells should be sunk to greater 
depths and the casing extended below the limestone in order to pre- 
vent the entrance of questionable waters. 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 176, 1908. 



422 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



LOCAL SUPPLIES. 



Thomasville (population 6,727, census of 1910). — The municipal 
water supply of Thomasville is derived from three artesian wells. 
The water is hard but has proved satisfactory for general domestic 
purposes. (See analyses 2 and 3, Table 83.) 

The following information regarding one of the city wells at Thomas- 
ville, drilled in 1907, was furnished to T. W. Vaughan by the driller, 
Mr. S. S. Chandler: 

Log of city well at Thomasville. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sands and clays 

Limestone containing flint 

Gray sandy rock, moderately hard . 



Feet. 



160 
204 



Feet. 



240 

444 



The well furnishes 500 gallons of water per minute and stands at 175 feet below the 
surface. At 175 feet there is an underground channel that takes the water away. 

J. W. Spencer x published the following partial log of one of the city 
wells at Thomasville, drilled about 1890: 

Partial log of one of the city wells, Thomasville. 

[Authority E. O. Thompson, superintendent of waterworks.] 

Feet. 

Red and blue clay and sand to 162 

Limestone to 225 

Shell rock with water to 310 

Rubble rock at '. 360 

(From this level the water rises to within 210 feet of the surface. - ) 

Shell rock with copious flow at 410 

Water at 1, 400 

Bottom of limestone 1, 680 

Quicksand thence to 1, 820 

This well probably penetrates all the Oligocene and Eocene deposits 
and enters the Cretaceous deposits. 

The deep wells at Thomasville are believed to tap water-bearing 
beds in the Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations. 

Boston (population 1,130, census of 1910). — The municipal water 
supply of Boston is obtained from an artesian well 320 feet deep. 
Sandy water-bearing limestones were encountered at several levels 
between the depths 130 and 320 feet. The water rises to within 102 
feet of the surface. The water-bearing bed is in either the Vicksburg 
or the Chattahoochee formation. (See analysis 1, Table 83.) The 
following log 2 was furnished to T. W. Vaughan by S. S. Chandler, 
the driller: 

1 Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 74, 1891. 

2 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 180, 1908. 



THOMAS COUNTY. 

Log of town well at Boston. 



423 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Yellow clay 

Limestone with flint 

Hard brown rock, water bearing 

Hard brown rock 

Soft brown rock. 

Hard brown rock 



Feet. 
90 
40 
90 
40 
45 
15 



Feet. 
90 
130 
220 
260 
305 
320 



Pavo (population 572, census of 1910). — A well owned by Pavo, 
a town in the northeastern part of the county, is reported to be about 
400 feet deep. The water, which rises to within about 200 feet of 
the surface, is considered hard, but is used for general domestic pur- 
poses and for boiler supply. The well probably penetrates the Chat- 
tahoochee and Vicksburg formations. 

Table 82. — Wells in Thomas County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 

sea 
level. 


1 






S. S. Chandler... 


S. S. Chandler and 
S.W. McCallie.a 




Feet. 
197 


9 






170 


3 
4 


Pavo 


Town 

...do 


W. F.Lloyd.... 
S. S. Chandler... 


W. M. Fambrough. 
S. S. Chandler. 
J. W. Spencer 6 


1908 
1907 
1890? 


258 


f) 


...do 


do 


258 















Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 
of 

water 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
320 

225 

400± 

444 

1,820 


Inches. 
6 


Feet. 
130-320 


Feet. 


Feet. 
102 




Galls. 
50 




Hard; see analysis 1, 
Table 83. 


a 




3 


6 

8 






200 
175 

| 210 




250 

500 




Hard. 


4 


240-444 
410 


f 360- 
\ 1, 400 








Air-lift pump 


/See analyses 2 and 3, 
\ Table 83. 









a. Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. No. 15 .pp. 179-181, 1908. 
6 Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 74, 1891. 



424 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Table 82. — Wells in Thomas County — Continued. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 




Chattahoochee or 
Vicksburg for- 
mation. 

do 




See log, p. 423. 


? 


Boiler supply, do- 
mestic. 
do 




3 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 

Chattahoochee or 
Vicksburg f o r - 
mation. 

Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 


Limestone? 

Sandy limestone. . 


6-ineh easing to 200± feet; cost of well, 


4 
5 


Municipal supply. 


$700. 
8-inch casing to 305 feet; see log, p. 422. 

See log, p. 422. 







Table 83. — Analyses of underground waters from Thomas County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


Silica 
(Si0 2 ). 


Oxides 

of iron 
and 
alum- 
inum 

(Fe 2 3 
+ 

A1 2 3 ). 


1 


Town well 

Town well 

No. 1. 
Town well 

No. 2. 




Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 
do 

do 


Feet. 
320 

.© 

(?) 


Edgar Everhart a.. 
do. a 


20 
20 
20 


18 


2 
3 


do 


1.6 
1.4 


























■3 


a? 


03 





















X) 


TS 








t> 


X 








a 






<S 


03 
















^ 


^ 


M 


u . 


M^ 


T3 


£3 




. 


T3 . 






03 
O 


s 

3 


c3 

a 
3 


a 

3 


0>O 






-So 

go 

Is 


OS'S- 
43 


^6 
csPM 
.El — ' 

ft 


O 
1 


«3 


°o 



Remarks. 


d 





5> 

03 


T3 










ft 







3 


O 


as 




'A 





3 


CD 


Ph 


O 


M 


OS 


P-, 


O 


&H 


fe 




1 


40 


4.0 


5.4 


2.0 


0.0 


128 


8.S 


0,4 


9.5 


174 


18 


Well 1, Table 82. 


2 


48 


22 


9.0 


2.6 


.0 


179 


81 


Tr. 


12 


278 


4 


Wells 4 and 5, Table 82. 


3 


48 


22 


7.8 


2.1 


.0 


159 


82 


Tr. 


12 


274 


20 


Do. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 177-180, 1908. 

TIFT COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Tift County is in the south-central part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia in the long-leaf pine or wire-grass region. Tifton, the county 
seat, is 105 miles south of Macon. The area of the county is 243 
square miles and the population is 11,487 (census of 1910). Lumber 
and. naval stores are the chief products, but the pine timber is being 
rapidly exhausted and the inhabitants are giving increased attention 
to agriculture, which will doubtless be the chief industry hi the near 
future. 



TIFT COUNTY. 425 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is nearly level to moderately hilly. The upland portion 
lies 300 to 400 feet and the partly swampy lowlands along Little and 
Alapaha rivers somewhat less than 300 feet above sea level. 

The streams are small and now sluggishly through wide, dense 
swamps. The waters are free from silt or clay in suspension but are 
dark from their high content of organic matter. Little River, which 
flows south through the western part of the county, and Alapaha 
River, which forms a part of the northeastern boundary, are the 
principal streams. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Alum Bluff formation (of Oligocene age), which consists of 100 
feet or more of greenish or drab sandy clays and sands interbedded 
with thin, hard layers, outcrops in a small area along Little River 
in the southwestern part of the county. The formation contains 
water-bearing beds and is overlain throughout the greater part of the 
county by 100 feet or less of mottled, irregularly bedded argillaceous 
sands, greenish sandy clays, and subordinate lenses of gravel, which 
are probably of Oligocene age. These materials weather to a sandy 
soil, which contains in places great numbers of small iron-oxide 
nodules and is locally known as " pebble" or "pimple" land. The 
deposits yield soft waters to shallow wells. 

In a narrow belt on the east side of Little River accumulations of 
soft surficial sand form small sand hills of probable Pleistocene age. 

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by 400 or 500 feet of water- 
bearing limestones, which probably represent in descending order the 
Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations of the Oligocene and the 
Jackson formation of the Eocene. These limestones are underlain in 
descending order by undifferentiated strata of Eocene and Cretaceous 
age, having an aggregate thickness of 2,000 feet or more. The Cre- 
taceous probably rests upon a deeply buried surface of ancient crys- 
talline rocks. The Eocene and Cretaceous deposits contain important 
water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 
DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Shallow dug wells are the chief source of domestic water supply 
Deep wells have been drilled at Tifton. 

Streams and ponds are used locally for stock and are the principal 
source of boiler supplies for sawmills, factories, and railway locomo- 
tives. A few small springs on the edges of the creeks and swamps 
are used for domestic supplies. The water from the Murrow Mineral 
Spring, 4 miles west of Tifton, is bottled and sold for drinking (See 
Table 85, analysis 4.) 



426 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 
of 100 to 1 ; 000 feet or more. It is doubtful if flowing wells can be 
obtained. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Tifton (population 2,381, census of 1910). — The town of Tifton 
owns a public water-supply system which obtains water from an 
artesian well 550 feet deep drilled in 1906. The water rises to within 
125 feet of the surface, and the maximum yield by pumping is 420 
gallons a minute. Kock is said to have been entered at 270 feet. 
The principal water-bearing bed is between 300 and 550 feet. The 
water has a slight odor of hydrogen sulphide and is moderately hard, 
but is used for general domestic and manufacturing purposes. (See 
analysis 1, Table 85.) 

A partial set of well borings on file in the office of the United States 
Geological Survey (well No. 1174) probably came from the town well 
just described. The samples were furnished by the Hughes Specialty 
Well Drilling Co., of Charleston, S. C. The following partial log has 
been prepared: 

Partial log of town well at Tifton. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Missing 

Mixture of clear quartz sand and fine fragments of claystone 

White sandy claystone 

Fine white sand 

Chunks of light-gray flint showing dendritic growths 

Missing '. 

Fine light-gray argillaceous, calcareous sand 1 . . . 

Very fine light-gray argillaceous, slightly calcareous sand 

Mixture of coarse quartz sand and fragments of gray clay and white limestone. 

Missing ., 

Very fine calcareous sand 

Fine calcareous sand 

Missing 

White sandy limestone 

Flint 



Feet. 
80 
20 
20 
10 
5 
5 
8 
2 
18 
10 
7 

15 
12 
66 
5 



Feel. 
80 
100 
120 
130 
135 
140 
148 
150 
168 
178 
185 
200 
212 
278 
283 



The limestones penetrated between 212 and 278 feet probably 
belong to the Chattahoochee formation. 

Another sample, bearing the well number 1,325, received in Janu- 
ary, 1907, from the Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., was taken 
from the town well (probably the well just described) and is said to 
represent the materials penetrated between 298 and 400 feet. It 
consists of pure white limestone having a botryoidal appearance. 

Capt. H. H. Tift's well, completed in 1896, is 368 feet deep and the 
water rises to within 125 feet of the surface. Two or three water- 
bearing strata are said to have been struck. Limestone was encoun- 
tered at 260 feet. The principal water-bearing bed is sand, at a depth 
of 330 feet. 



TIFT COUNTY. 



427 



A well owned by the Tifton Ice & Power Co., 1 near the Atlantic 
Coast Line Railroad station about 10 feet above the railroad track, is 
572^ feet deep. The water, which rises to within 115 feet of the 
surface, is used chiefly for the manufacture of ice. The following is a 
partial log: 

Partial log of well of Tifton Ice & Power Co., Tifton. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Clay and sand 

Sand rock 

Rock and clay (20-foot layers) 

Quicksand 

Not reported 

Hard flint 

Porous limestone, containing water in caverns in lower 172 feet 
Not reported 



Feet. 

30 

20 
100 

25 

95 

30 
212 

60.5 



Feet. 

30 

50 
150 
175 
270 
300 
512 
572.5 



Table 84. — Wells in Tift County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Approxi- 
mate eleva- 
tion above 

sea level. 


1 


Tifton. 
do 
do 






W. 


S. Walker 


1906 
1896 


Feet. 
370 


? 




H. H. T 
Tifton It 


ft 




370 


3 




e & Power Co 


W. 




343? 


















Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 

water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 
of 

water 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 
? 


Feet. 

550 

368 
572J 


Inches. 
8 

8 
6 


Feet. 
300-550 

330-368 
340-512 


Feet. 


Feet. 
125 

125 
115 


Galls. 


Galls. 
420 

150 


Air-lift pump 


Hard, slightly sul- 
phurous. See an- 
alvsisl, Table 85. 


3 




2, Table 85. 
Hard. See analysis 










3, Table 85. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Municipal supply. 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 

do 


Porous limestone. . 
do 


8-inch casing to 270 feet. Cost of well, 
$2,000; of machinery, $2,000. See log, 
p. 426. 

Limestone at 260 feet; 330 feet of 8- inch 


3 


Manufacture of 
ice and boiler 
supply. 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 


do 


easing. 
Water from cavities in limestone. Cost 






of well, $2,000; of pumping plant, 
$1,000. See log above. 



1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 54, 55, : 



428 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Table 85. — Analyses of underground waters from Tift County, 
[Parts per million.) 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 




1911. 










Feet. 




1 


May 24 






Tifton 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 
do 


300-550 


Edgar Everhart. 
H. C. White." 


■?. 


Well of H. H.Tift... 


do 


330-368 


3 




Well of Tifton Ice Xr 


...do 


...do.... 


340-512 


Boiler Compound 
Co.* 






Power Co. 










4 


Apr. 3 




Tifton, 4 miles 






Edgar Everhart. 






Spring. 




west of. 






















© 


CD 


0) 


<D 




o 


-a 




















o 


O 
















O 




3. 
"a 


"o? 
o 


a 
a' 


"oT 


g 

J 

a 


'•3 

03 

0>O 


73 
03 

■So 

oW 


OS'? 

M o 


T3 • 

So 


6 


03 
O ,J 


> 
o . 


Remarks. 




EG 




3 

a 


a 


a 


a 


a w 


03 "^ 




q 


2 a 


■o S 




6 


03 

55 


a 

o 
H 


3 

< 


'3 
"3 

o 


a 

03 


a 

'■3 

o 

CO 


J 
Is 


o 
,Q 
.03 

O 


03 
o 

s 


ft 

CO 


03 


o 

3 
o 


3 

> 


<s 
o 

EH 




1 


28 


0.2 




44 


2.0 


\i 


i 


0.0 


181 


6.0 


0.1 


5.0 




192 


Weill, Table 84. 


2 


lfi 


.1 


5.3 


73 


.8 


S.8J4.1 


116 




12 




.7 


7.0 


250 


Well 2, Table 84. 


3 


lf> 


<3.8 




35 


4.9 


34 




49 




12 




176 


Total depth of well 






























572i feet. Well 3, 






























Table 84. 


4 


22 


.2 




38 


2.0 


6.0 


.0 


154 


Tr. 


Tr. 


3.0 




168 





a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 54, 55, 1908. b Idem, p. 55. c Fe20 3 +Al 2 03. 

TOOMBS COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Toombs County is in the east-central part of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia. Lyons, the county seat, is on the main line of the 
Seaboard Air Line Railway, 75 miles west of Savannah. The area 
of the county is 393 square miles and the population is 11,206 (census 
of 1910). 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is for the most part slightly undulating to hilly, 
but some of the interstream areas are nearly level. Altamaha 
River, which forms the southern boundary, has cut 100 or 150 feet 
below the general upland level. Ohoopee River and Pendletons 
Creek, the next largest streams, are bordered on the east by low 
hills or ridges with conspicuous coverings of incoherent quartz sand, 
the origin of which has not yet been satisfactorily explained. Small 
branches and creeks are numerous and flow through swamps in 
broad shallow valleys. 

The known altitudes at railroad stations are Lyons, 254 feet; 
Ohoopee, 187 feet; and Vidalia, 257 (?) feet. The elevation of the 
swamp along Altamaha River, estimated from bench marks estab- 
lished by United States Army Engineers, is 75 to 85 feet above sea 
level. 



TOOMBS COUNTY. 429 

GEOLOGY. 

The Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 100 feet or more 
of sands and bluish or drab sandy clays, in part fuller's earth, with 
interbedded layers of sandstone or aluminous grit, outcrops in the 
valley of Altamaha River and underlies the remainder of the county. 
The deposits contain water-bearing beds. 

The Alum Bluff formation is overlain by 75 or 100 feet of irregu- 
larly bedded, locally indurated sands, sandy clays, and gravels, which 
probably are of Oligocene age, and which form the surface throughout 
nearly all the county. These materials are the source of the water 
obtained in shallow wells. Pleistocene terrace deposits occur in 
small areas along Altamaha River. 

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by a series of undifferen- 
tiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls, which in descending order 
are of Oligocene, Eocene, and Cretaceous age. At an unknown 
depth, perhaps 2,500 feet or more, the Cretaceous deposits rest 
upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. 

The Oligocene, Eocene, and Cretaceous deposits contain important 
water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 
DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug wells 15 to 40 feet deep are the chief source of domestic 
water supply; most of them tap water-bearing beds in the surficial 
sands and gravels of Oligocene ( ?) age and yield soft potable waters 
suitable for household use, except where not properly protected 
from surface pollution. Deep wells have been drilled at Lyons and 
Vidalia. 

Small seepage springs are scattered throughout the county but 
are comparatively unimportant as sources of water supply; most of 
them occur at the edges of the swamps bordering the streams and 
issue either from the base of sand hills or from sandy layers in the 
Oligocene ( ?) surficial deposits. An analysis of water from a spring 
owned by J. M. and C. S. Meadows, Normantown, is given in Table 87 
(analysis 2). 

The waters of streams are suitable for stock and boiler supply 

Abundant supplies of artesian water can be obtained anywhere 
in the county at depths of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. The prospects 
for obtaining flows are good only on the low-terrace plains bordering 
Altamaha River and on the lowlands bordering Ohoopee River and 
Pendletons Creek. 



430 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



LOCAL SUPPLIES. 



Lyons (population 927, census of 1910). — Two public artesian wells 
have been drilled at Lyons. The first, 1 drilled in 1900, is 450 feet 
deep and the water rises to within 85 feet of the surface; the well is 
no longer in use. The second, 1 drilled in 1909, is 406 feet deep and is 
8 inches in diameter at the top and 6 inches at the bottom. The 
principal supply is said to come from a sand at 400 feet, and the water 
rises to within 100 feet of the surface. This well furnishes the mu- 
nicipal water supply for both domestic and manufacturing purposes. 
(See analysis 1, Table 87.) 

Vidalia (population 1,776, census of 1910). — The public water 
supply at Vidalia is obtained from a well 805 feet deep at the electric- 
light plant in the eastern part of the town. The water comes chiefly 
from limestones below 440 feet and rises to within 140 feet of the 
surface. Another water-bearing stratum was penetrated at about 
400 feet but was cased off. The water from the limestones is suitable 
for drinking but is rather hard and is objectionable for boiler supply. 
The following log has been furnished by the driller: 

Log of well at the electric-light plant, Vidalia. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Clay 

Marl (?) 

Gray sandstone (water) 

Laminated clay 

Sandstone (water) 

Sand 

Drab laminated clay 

Sand (water) 

Dark-colored clay 

Yellow ferruginous sandstone 

Gray laminated clay 

Sand (water bearing) 

Clay 

Sand 

Laminated clay 

Sand. 

Hard clay or shale 

Sand with shells 

Sand 

Blue marl 

Principally limestone, water bearing 
Not reported 



Feet. 
40 
30 
40 
27 

8 
20 
30 

1 
20 

8 
46 
27 
25 

2 
11 

1 

19 
20 
20 
40 
365 

5 



Feet. 
40 
70 
110 
137 
145 
165 
195 
196 
216 
224 
270 
297 
322 
324 
335 
336 
355 
375 
395 
435 
800 
805 



A sample from 800 feet is a glauconitic sandy marl. 

A well at the ice factory, about one-fourth mile west of the Seaboard 
Air Line Railway station, is 507 feet deep and is cased to 377 feet, 
where a water-bearing stratum is said to have been entered. The 
water, which stands within 120 feet of the surface, is pumped at the 
rate of 93 gallons per minute. It is said to be much softer than the 
citv water and is used for the manufacture of ice and for boiler 



i McCallie, S. W., Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 171, 1908. 



TOOMBS COUNTY. 



4S1 



supplies. This well and the town well are about three-quarters of a 
mile apart and are at about the same elevation. 

Table 86. — Wells in Toombs County. 

















Ap- 
















proxi- 
















mate 














Date 


eleva- 


No. 


Location. 




Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


com- 
pleted. 


tion of 
mouth 
above 
sea 
level. 
















Feet. 


1 


Lyons. 
do. 






To 






S. W. McCalliea.. 
E. L. Edenfield... 


1900 
1909 


254 


2 






.do 


E. L. Edenfield. 


254 


3 


Vidalia 




do 






1908 


257? 


4 


Vidalia, \ mile west 










257? 




of Seaboard 


Air 














Line Ry. 














No. 


Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
below 
surface. 


Yield 
per 

minute 
by 

pump- 
ing. 


How obtained. 


Quality. 




Feet. 


Inches. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Feet. 


Galls. 






1 


450 
406 


2i 

6 


450? 
400-406 




85 
100 






Hard. 


2 


100 


Air-lift pump 


See analysis 1, Table 87. 


3 


805 
507 




440-500? 
337? 


400 


140 
120 






Hard. 


4 


93 












- 









No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Domestic 

Manufacturing, 
domestic. 

Domestic 


Eocene? 






? 


do 




6-inch casing to 200± feet. Diameter 
at top 8 inches and at bottom 6 
inches. Cost of well, about SI ,000. 

See log, p. 430. 


3 


Eocene 




4 


Manufacture of ice 
and boiler sup- 
ply- 


Oligocene or Eo- 
cene. 













a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 171, 1908. 
Table 87. — Analyses of well and spring waters from Toombs County. 
[Parts per million.] 



Silica(Si0 2 ) 

Iron (Fe) 

Aluminum ( Al) 

Calcium (Ca) 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Sodium (Na) 

Potassium (K) 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) . 

Sulphate radicle (SO*) 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) 

Chlorine(Cl) 

Total dissolved solids 




1. Well No. 2, Table 86. Sample collected Apr. 15, 1911. Edgar Everhart, analyst. 

2. Spring owned by J. M. and C. S. Meadows, Normantown; water-bearing formation, Oligocene surficial 
material. 



432 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TURNER COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Turner County is in the central part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. 
Ashburn, the county seat, is on the Georgia Southern & Florida Rail- 
way, 85 miles south of Macon. The area of the county is 231 square 
miles, and the population is 10,075 (census of 1910). 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Turner County is moderately hilly, but the hills are low and the val- 
leys broad with gentle slopes. The general upland surface is 350 to 
400 feet above sea level. Small ponds occur throughout the county, 
and in the west lime sinks indicate the presence of limestone at no 
great depth. The streams which drain the county originate in the 
Coastal Plain and are small and clear. 

GEOLOGY. 

Strata of Oligocene age underlie the entire county but have not 
been accurately discriminated. It is believed, however, that they 
represent in ascending order the Vicksburg, Chattahoochee, and Alum 
Bluff formations. The Vicksburg formation, which consists of 200 
feet or more of limestones with interbedded layers of sand and clay, 
does not appear at the surface. 

The Chattahoochee formation is lithologically similar to the Vicks- 
burg formation, but probably does not exceed 100 feet in thickness. 
It comes to the surface in a small area in the extreme west. Both the 
Vicksburg and the Chattahoochee formations are believed to carry 
potable waters in great abundance. 

The Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 100 feet or more of 
bluish sandy clays, sands, and sandstones, outcrops in a belt a few 
miles wide extending north and south in the extreme west. The for- 
mation contains water-bearing beds. The Alum Bluff formation is 
overlain by 100 feet or less of irregularly bedded coarse ferruginous 
sands and blusish sandy clays, which are probably also of Oligocene 
age. These beds form the surface materials throughout the remainder 
of the county and are the source of the waters obtained in shallow dug 
wells. 

Deeply buried beneath the Vicksburg formation are undifferentiated 
deposits of Eocene age, probably representing in descending order the 
Jackson formation and the Claiborne group and perhaps, also, the Wil- 
cox and Midway formations. They contain water-bearing beds. The 
Eocene deposits are underlain in turn by deposits of Cretaceous age, 
the aggregate thickness of which is probably between 1,500 and 2,500 
feet; these deposits also contain water-bearing beds. The Cretaceous 



TURNER COUNTY. 433 

deposits are believed to rest upon a deeply buried basement of ancient 
crystalline rocks. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug wells 10 to 60 feet deep, yielding soft waters, are the chief 
source of domestic water supply. Deep wells have been drilled at 
Ashburn and Worth. Creek water is used locally for stock. A few 
of the small springs of the county are used for domestic water supplies. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 
ranging from 100 to 1,500 feet or more. On the lowlands bordering 
the larger creeks it is probably possible to obtain flows by drilling to 
depths exceeding 500 feet. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Ashburn (population 2,214, census of 1910). — The town of Ashburn 
obtains its municipal water supply from three deep wells drilled in 
1895 by the J. S. Betts Lumber Co. but now owned by the munici- 
pality. The wells are about 500 feet deep and are 20 feet apart. The 
water rises to within 175 feet of the surface and the yield is 125 to 150 
gallons per minute. The water, which is probably derived from the 
Vicksburg formation, is slightly hard, is low in total solids, and has 
proved satisfactory for domestic and manufacturing purposes. A 
sample of water from one of these wells, collected June 15, 1911, was 
analyzed by Edgar Everhart as follows : 

Analysis of water from one of the public wells at Ashburn. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 26 

Iron (Fe) .4 

Calcium (Ca) 24 

Magnesium (Mg) 7. 

Sodium and potassium (Na+K) 8. 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 2. 

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO,). . 117 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 8. 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) 2 

Chlorine (CI) 3.5 

Total dissolved solids 100 

Worth (population 169, census of 1910). — At Worth domestic water 
supplies are obtained in part from a well 375 feet deep, in which the 
water rises to within 10 feet of the surface. 

McCallie 1 describes a well at this place, drilled by the Enterprise 
Lumber Co. in 1896, the depth of which is 300 feet. The water, 
which is probably derived from the Vicksburg formation, rises to 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 197, 1908. 
38418°— wsp 341—15 28 



434 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

within 60 feet of the surface. Limestone is said to have been encoun- 
tered. The water was used for boiler supply. 

TWIGGS COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Twiggs County is in the north-central part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Its area is 314 square miles and its population (census of 
1910) is 10,736. Agriculture and the mining of kaolin and high- 
grade clays are the chief industries. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is a dissected upland plain within the physiographic 
division known as the falhline hills. Its central part forms the 
divide between the Ocmulgee and Oconee river systems. Numerous 
small creeks and branches flow southwestward into Ocmulgee River, 
and other small streams flow southeastward, eventually reaching 
Oconee River. Erosion by Ocmulgee River and the numerous 
small streams in the county has rendered much of the surface broken 
and hilly. In relatively narrow areas bordering Ocmulgee River 
Pleistocene terracing processes have produced two plains, one 10 to 
20 feet and the other 60 to 75 feet above low-water level of the river. 

GEOLOGY. 

Eocene strata outcrop over the greater part of the county, perhaps 
reaching a maximum thickness of 200 feet at the extreme southern 
border. The Eocene beds rest unconformably upon Cretaceous 
strata which consist predominantly of irregularly bedded sands with 
subordinate clay lenses. These Cretaceous sands and clays outcrop 
in a narrow strip bordering Ocmulgee River along the western edge 
of the county and along the bottoms and lower slopes of the valleys 
of the small tributary streams entering Ocmulgee River from the 
east; they appear also in the valley of Big Sandy Creek in the north. 
Both the Lower and Upper Cretaceous are believed to be represented. 
Lower Cretaceous deposits lie immediately beneath the Eocene in 
approximately the northern third of the county. The Cusseta sand 
member of the Ripley formation (Upper Cretaceous) intervenes 
between the Lower Cretaceous and Eocene beds in a belt 4 or 5 miles 
wide in the west-central part of the county and extends eastward 
beneath the Eocene. In the southwestern part of the area the 
Providence sand member of the Ripley formation intervenes between 
the Cusseta sand and the Eocene and extends eastward beneath the 
Eocene. The Eocene deposits present in the county have been 
referred to the Claiborne group, the Jackson formation, and the 



WAEE COUNTY. 435 

Vicksburg formation. The Claiborne group is composed of sands 
and clays, the Jackson formation consists chiefly of limestones, and 
the Vicksburg formation consists chiefly of the residual products of 
decomposed limestone. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.) 

Thin Pleistocene deposits of sandy loams, sands, and gravels cover 
narrow terrace plains along Ocmulgee River. 

Water-bearing sands are numerous in the Cretaceous deposits and 
are present, though fewer in number, in the Claiborne group of the 
Eocene. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

Domestic water supplies throughout the county are obtained 
chiefly from dug or bored wells 30 to 100 feet deep and from numerous 
springs. Both wells and springs yield waters of excellent quality for 
domestic and industrial purposes. The numerous creeks and branches 
are sources of excellent water for stock and for steam making. 

Lower and Upper Cretaceous deposits underlie the whole county 
but appear at the surface only in the valleys of Ocmulgee River and 
its tributaries along the western side of the county and in the valley 
of Big Sandy Creek in the north. The Cretaceous deposits are com- 
posed largely of beds of porous sand capable of carrying large quan- 
tities of water. In the northern part of the county these water- 
bearing beds he at 100 to 300 feet and in the extreme south at 
probably 150 to 1,500 feet or more. The Eocene deposits, particu- 
larly the sandy strata of the Claiborne group, should yield small to 
moderate amounts of potable water at depths not exceeding 200 feet. 

Conditions appear favorable for obtaining flowing wells in the 
valley of Ocmulgee River at elevations less than 50 feet above low- 
water level. 

WARE COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Ware County is in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia, its eastern boundary being about 50 miles from the Atlantic 
coast. Its area is 804 square miles and its population (census of 
1910) is 22,957. The principal industries are lumbering and the 
manufacture of turpentine and resin, but increased attention is being 
given to agriculture, which will doubtless be the chief industry of the 
future. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The northern part is a gently rolling to nearly level upland plain 
having a very slight general southward slope and a maximum eleva- 
tion of about 250 feet. The southern part is a swampy, poorly 
drained, pine and saw-palmetto flat lying 115 to 130 feet about sea 



436 UNDEBGEOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEOEGIA. 

level. Okefenokee Swamp covers the extreme southern part of the 
county. 

Satilla River, the largest stream, flows eastward across the north- 
ern part of the county and forms the northeastern boundary; it is a 
sluggish dark-water stream, flowing through a low, sand-covered, 
poorly drained terrace plain. Low-water level at the Atlantic Coast 
Line Railroad bridge, 3 miles northeast of Waycross, is about 70 feet 
lower than the surface at Waycross, where the altitude is 140 feet 
above sea level. The smaller streams spread out through swamps 
and carry a large amount of decayed vegetation. 

GEOLOGY. 

Throughout all but a few relatively small areas in the southern part 
of the county the surface terrane consists of 150 feet or less of irregu- 
larly bedded sands and clays which are probably of late Oligocene age. 
They weather to loose gray or yellowish quartz sands and are in part 
water bearing. At many places the materials immediately beneath 
the surface sands consists of mottled reddish, yellowish, and bluish 
argillaceous sands, in part cemented by iron oxide and locally known 
as hardpan. The remainder of the county is covered by sands and 
clays of Pleistocene age. The late Oligocene ? beds are the source of 
the waters obtained in shallow wells. 

A series of undifferentiated sands, clays, limestones, and marls of 
Tertiary age underlies the Pleistocene deposits and probably includes 
in descending order representatives of the Pliocene, Miocene, Oligo- 
cene, and Eocene. According to the log of a 700-foot well at Waycross 
(pp. 438-439) fossils corresponding to the Tampa formation (Oligocene) 
of Florida ( = Chattahoochee formation of Georgia) were found at 415 
feet. Limestones interbedded with layers of sand and shell marl, 
probably representing the lower portion of the Chattahoochee forma- 
tion and the Vicksburg formation of the Oligocene, and perhaps also 
the Jackson formation of the Eocene, were encountered between 440 
and 691 feet. 

Nothing definite is known concerning the deposits beneath the 
limestones, but it is believed that they are underlain in descending 
order by sediments of Eocene and Cretaceous age, and that at some 
depth, perhaps 3,000 feet or more, the latter rest upon a basement of 
ancient crystalline rocks. Both the Eocene and Cretaceous deposits 
probably contain important water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug and driven wells 10 to 40 feet deep are the chief source of 
domestic water supply. They yield an abundance of soft water 
which in wet seasons often stands within 3 or 4 feet of the surface. 



WARE COUNTY. 437 

The waters of the shallow wells are liable to contamination from 
surface sources owing to the porous character of the soils and subsoils. 
Deep wells have been drilled at Waycross and at Beach. (See 
Table 88.) 

Springs are few in number, small, and of little value. The waters 
of streams and ponds are used to some extent for stock and for boiler 
supply. ^ 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,000 
feet or more. Waters from deep sources, provided the wells are 
properly cased, are not subject to contamination from surface sources 
and are more suitable for all purposes, except boiler supply, than the 
waters of shallow wells and streams. 

The prospects for obtaining flows are not good except on the low- 
lands bordering Satilla River, where flowing wells can probably be 
obtained at depths of 1,000 feet or more. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Waycross (population 14,485, census of 1910). — The city of Way- 
cross owns a public water-supply system, which obtains water from 
two artesian wells, at the intersection of Plant Avenue and Mary 
Street. The surface at the mouth of the wells is about 2 feet lower 
than the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad station, which is 140 feet above 
sea level. According to H. M. Pafford, city engineer, the first well, 
drilled in 1893, is 700 feet deep, 12 inches in diameter at the top, and 8 
inches in diameter at the bottom; and the second well, drilled in 
1895, is 700 feet deep, 10 inches in diameter at the top, and 6 inches 
in diameter at the bottom. The principal water-bearing bed is be- 
tween 670 and 700 feet, and the water rises to within 58 feet of the 
surface. The combined maximum yield of the wells is 1,800 gallons 
per minute. The city consumes 1,080,000 gallons of water per day, 
which is distributed from a standpipe having a capacity of 287,000 
gallons. 

The wells probably tap a water-bearing bed in Eocene deposits, 
possibly in the Jackson formation. 

The water from the wells is clear and odorless, and although hard is 
of good quality for drinking, but, as it is rather high in calcium, mag- 
nesium, and sulphate it would probably produce considerable scale 
in boilers. (See analyses 2 and 3, Table 89.) 

Although water for domestic and industrial purposes is furnished 
chiefly by the municipal water-supply plant, many shallow dug and 
driven wells owned by individuals are still in use, and some of the 
manufacturing concerns obtain their supplies from deep or shallow 
wells. 



438 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

McCallie l gives the following log of one of the city wells, prepared 
from a set of well borings : 

Log of city well at Waycross. 

[Authority, H. Murphv, chairman of water works commission.] 

Feet. 

Surface sand 2 

Motley red, yellow, and white clays at 9 

A rather coaise-grained, waterworn reddish sand at 20 

A sample of sand differing mainly from the above in being of a red- 
dish-brown color at 30 

Coarse quartz sand cemented by iron oxide at 40 

Dark gray plastic clay at 50 

Very coarse white sand at 55 

Very coarse white sand at 80 

Dark gray clay at 100 

Yellow sandy clay at 115 

Fine gray sand containing glauconite at 130 

Dark-gray clay at 140 

Sandy clay with glauconite at 145 

Fine glauconitic sandy clay at 160 

Coarse white sand with glauconite at 185 

Dark-gray greenish marl at 215 

Medium fine-grained glauconitic sand at 217 

. Hard, flinty, sandy drab-colored claystone at 226 

Drab-colored calcareous sandy clay with fragments of flint and 

limestone at 228 

Hard vitreous glauconitic sand at 230 

Gray glauconitic marl at 232 

Fine dark-gray sand with fragments of shells at 234 

Blue clay at 236 

Gray sandy marl at 275 

Coarse sand and phosphatic pebbles, sharks' teeth, dental plates of 

. rays, and glauconite at 300 

Fine sand with glauconite at 302 

Hard compact sandstone at 310 

Dark sandy clay with dental plates of rays and glauconite at 312 

Gray marls, fragments of pectens, spines of sea urchins, etc., at. . . . 325 

Very hard compact sandstone at 340 

Fine gray glauconitic sand at 343 

Shells at 380 

Shell marl at 400 

Highly fossiliferous limestone, Tampa horizon, at 415 

Gray marl, pectens, and spines of sea urchins at 425 

White chalky sandy limestone at 440 

Fossiliferous limestone having a concretionary structure at 450 

White chalky arenaceous limestone at 455 

Gray sandy marl at. 475 

Fine yellow argillaceous sand at 480 

Gray sandstone and claystone at 500 

White chalky limestone at 510 

Compact dark-gray limestone with fragments of corals and shells at . . 525 

> Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 181-185, 1908. 



WAEE COUNTY. 



439 



Feet. 
Shell marl at 527 

White chalky limestone at 530 

Dark gray marl with fragments of shells at 550 

Hard, compact dove-colored glauconitic claystone at 555 

White chalky limestone at 560 

Gray porous limestone with casts of gastropods at 600 

White chalky limestone at 610 

White compact f ossiliferous limestone at 650 

"Peninsular'' limestone, coral, Foraminifera, and bryozoans in 

abundance at 665 

White chalky limestone at 670 

White limestone made up largely of the tests of Foraminifera, some 

of which are an inch or more in diameter, at 675 

White chalky limestone at 680 

Dark-gray fossiliferous limestone at 685 

Fossiliferous limestone, Basilosaurus horizon, at 691 

Information has been obtained concerning two other deep wells at 
Way cross. One of them, owned by the Way cross Gas & Construction 
Co., is 647 feet deep and supplies water which rises to within 55 or 60 
feet of the surface and is pumped at the rate of 500 gallons a minute. 
The other well, owned by the Hebard Cypress Co., at its lumber mill 
just outside the city limits, is 613 feet deep and contains water which 
stands within 57 feet of the surface. 

Beach (population 358, census of 1910). — A deep well at Beach, 
owned by McMillan & Co., is 850 feet deep. The water, which rises 
to within 75 feet of the surface, is the principal domestic supply 
and is also used for making steam at a sawmill. It is clear, colorless, 
odorless, and wholesome. 

Table 88.- — Wells in Ware County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


1 


Beach (500 feet east of 
the post office). 

Way cross (Plant 

Ave. and Mary St.). 

do 


McMillan & Co 




T.H.Calhoun.... 

S.W.McCallieaand 

H. H. Pafford. 
do 


1904 
1893 
1895 


Feet. 


? 


City 


B.D.Finn 

do 


138 


3 


do 


138 


4 




Waycross Gas & 
Construction Co. 




H. H. Pafford 




S 


Waycross(near north- 
west city limits). 




do 



















a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 181-183, 1908. 



440 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 88. — Wells in Ware County — Continued. 





Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
w aliT- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 

below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 
2 


Feet. 
850 

700 

700 

647 
613 


Inches. 
6 

8 

6 

6 
6 


Feet. 
850 

670-700 
670-700 


Feet. 
350 

/ 300 
\ 400 
/ 300 
\ 400 


Feet. 
75 

| 58 

\ 58 

58 
57 


Galte. 


Galls. 
50 

900 

900 
500 


Air-lift pump 

do 


See analysis 1, Table 
89. 

See analyses 2 and 3, 
Table 89. 
Do. 


3 


do 


4 






fi 

























No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 

2 
3 


Domestic, boiler 
supply. 

Domestic, indus- 
trial. 
do 


Claiborne group?. . 

Jackson forma- 
tion? 
do 


Gravel and sand . . 

Porous limestone. . 
do 


Cost of well, $1,700; pump, S500. Out- 
side casing 6 inches, inside casing 4 
inches, both inserted to 850 feet. 

Diameter at top 12 inches, at bottom 8 
inches. 

Diameter at top 10 inches, at bottom 6 
inches. 


4 




do 


Limestone 

do 


s 




do... 















Table 89. — Analyses of underground ivaters from Ware County. 
[Parts per million.] 



No. 


Date of 
collec- 
tion. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 


1912. 
Dec, 17 

1911. 
Apr. 8 


Well of McMillan & 
Co. 

Town wells 

do 


Beach 


Claiborne group ? . . 

Jackson formation? 
do 


Feet. 

S50 

670-700 
670-700 


Edgar Everhart. 


? 


Wavcross 


Do. 


3 


do 


H. C. White.a 





























<D 


tr i, 


a> 


a 




t^ 


T3 


















-3 


03 . 


■3 


_o 




u 


j> 
























C3 . 












O 


^ 


Q 


a 


A 


a 




£0 




o 


s l 


1.1 


Remarks. 




m 


Ph 


a 




a 




SSi 


■gco 


^Z 


q 


a> o 


O 












I 

03 






o 


to 


J3 






-2 5 






d 


o 


a 

o 


o 


T3 


o 




go 


B 1 


£ 


3 


c3 03 


O 




A 


m 


1-H 


O 


& 


m 


Ph 


O 


5 


m 


A 


o 


> 


H 




1 


44 


3.0 


33 


16 


2 


5 


0.0 


193 


27 


0.0 


12 




249 


Well 1, Table 88. 


2 
3 


45 
9.9 


.2 
1.0 


40 

54 


18 
.6 


24 
2.8 0.5 


.0 

78 


175 


49 
10 


.0 


20 
3.6 


16 


296 
177 


jWell 2, Table 88. 



a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 183, 1908. 



UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 441 
WARREN COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Warren County is in the northeastern part of Georgia on the border 
between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Its 
area is 404 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 11,860. 
Agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Except for relatively small areas in the southeastern and southern 
parts of Warren County, which are in the Coastal Plain, the county 
lies in the Piedmont Plateau region. The Coastal Plain areas are on 
the northern border of the physiographic division called the fall-line 
hills. The southern part of the county is drained by the headwater 
streams of Ogeechee River, Rocky Comfort Creek, a tributary of 
Ogeechee River, and Brier Creek, a tributary of Savannah River. 
The dissection produced by these streams has rendered the surface 
hilly, the maximum topographic relief being probably between 250 
and 350 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

Crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau outcrop at the surface 
over the greater part of the county. However, in relatively small 
areas in the south and east coarse arkosic sands and light massive 
clays of Lower Cretaceous age outcrop above crystalline basement 
rocks which extend southward beneath them. The maximum thick- 
ness of the Lower Cretaceous deposits probably does not exceed 100 
feet. Small patches of strata referable to the Claiborne group of 
the Eocene cap the ridges in very small areas in the extreme southeast. 
(See PI. Ill, p. 52.) 

Although in texture and composition the Lower Cretaceous strata 
are good water bearers, they are too thin and too much dissected to 
be important as a source of water supply except for domestic pur- 
poses. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

Dug wells 25 to 100 feet deep and small springs furnish domestic 
supplies in the small Lower Cretaceous areas. Wells exceeding 100 
feet in depth pass through the Lower Cretaceous deposits and enter 
the underlying crystalline rocks. The Lower Cretaceous sands are 
favorable in composition and texture to the storage of water, but on 
account of their high elevation and easy drainage they furnish only 
moderate supplies. However, the contained waters are soft and of 
good quality. 



442 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN" OF GEORGIA. 
WASHINGTON COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Washington County is in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia. Its area is 669 square miles and its population is 28,174 
(census of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The northern part of the county is for the most part hilly and 
broken, with rather level interstream areas. Oconee River, which 
forms a part of the western boundary, has cut its valley about 250 
feet lower than the plain on which Tennille and Sandersville are 
located. The southern part of the county is undulating and much 
less broken than the northern. The known elevations above sea level 
at railroad stations are Davisboro, 302 feet; Sunhill, 362 feet; Ten- 
nille, 477 feet; Oconee, 228 feet; and Oconee River bridge, 221 feet. 
The hills in the extreme northwest reach 500 feet above sea level. 
(See atlas sheet of Milledgeville quadrangle, U. S. Geological Survey.) 

GEOLOGY. 

Ancient crystalline rocks outcrop in the valley of Oconee River, 
Baldwin County, within a few miles of the northwestern boundary 
of Washington County, and in the valley of Ogeechee River, in the 
extreme northern part of Washington County. They slope south- 
eastward beneath overlying sediments of the Coastal Plain and in the 
extreme southeastern part of the county probably lie 1,000 to 1,200 
feet beneath the surface. 

The crystalline rocks are overlain by 500 or 600 feet of irregularly 
bedded coarse sands with interbedded lenses of white clay of Lower 
Cretaceous age, which in turn are unconformably overlain through- 
out the greater part of the county by strata of Eocene age. Oconee 
River and Buffalo Creek in the west and Ogeechee River in the 
northeast have cut through the Eocene strata, bringing the Lower 
Cretaceous deposits to the surface along the sides and bottoms of 
their valleys. 

The Eocene deposits, which probably reach a maximum thickness 
of 300 or 350 feet, have been referred to two divisions named in 
ascending order the Claiborne group and the Jackson formation. 
The Claiborne group, which is composed of 250 or 300 feet of red 
ferruginous sands and clays in the nature of fuller's earth and marls 
or impure limestones, outcrops throughout the greater part of the 
county north of the Central of Georgia Railway and in a few small 
areas south of that railway. The Jackson formation consists of 
limestones or the residual products of limestones, and appears at the 
surface in only a small area in the southwest. 



WASHINGTON COUNTY. 443 

Overlapping the Jackson formation and the Claiborne group in 
the southern part of the county and forming the surface materials 
are 75 feet or less of irregularly bedded sands and clays of undeter- 
mined but probably of late Oligocene age. 

Pleistocene terrace deposits appear in narrow areas bordering 
Oconee River on the west. 

The beds of porous sand which largely compose the Lower Creta- 
ceous deposits carry large quantities of water, and sands carrying 
moderate amounts of water are present in the Claiborne group of the 
Eocene. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Shallow dug and driven wells 25 to 100 feet deep are the chief 
sources of domestic water supply in the county. In the north such 
wells, if located on the lowlands bordering the streams, tap water- 
bearing beds in the Lower Cretaceous deposits and yield soft waters. 
Those on the hills tap water-bearing beds in the Claiborne group. 
In the central part of the county shallow wells draw from the Claiborne 
group, and in the south from the late Oligocene ? sands. Deep wells 
have been drilled at Sandersville, Tennille, Davisboro, and Oconee. 

Small springs are numerous throughout the greater part of the 
county and furnish part of the domestic water supply. Large 
springs issue from limestones or marls of the Claiborne group near 
Sandersville, Tennille, Davisboro, and Sunhill. 

The Lower Cretaceous deposits are present beneath practically 
the entire county, except in the valley of Oconee River and its tribu- 
taries on the west and in the valley of Ogeechee River in the north. 
They are concealed at the surface by overlapping Eocene beds which 
reach a thickness in the extreme southeast of perhaps 350 feet. As 
the Lower Cretaceous deposits are composed predominantly of sands, 
many beds of which are coarse and porous, they should contain 
numerous water-bearing beds, which should be reached in the north- 
west at 100 to 300 feet and in the southeast at a maximum of 1,000 
to 1,100 feet. A flowing well has been obtained at Oconee, and flows 
can probably be had in the valleys of Oconee River and Buffalo Creek 
for several miles above Oconee and in the Oconee Valley below 
Oconee. A flowing well has also been obtained at Davisboro and 
flows can probably be obtained in the valley of Williamsons Swamp 
Greek from Davisboro downstream to the county line. 

The Claiborne group contains beds of sand which are water bearing 
and which should be reached at depths not exceeding 300 or 400 feet. 



444 UNDEBGBOUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Sandersville (population 2,641, census of 1910). — McCallie 1 has 
published information concerning deep wells at Sandersville, the 
county seat. The following log of the first city well (No. 3, Table 90) 
was prepared by McCallie from samples furnished by C. E. Worthen: 

Log of first city tvell, Sandersville (No. 3, Table 90). 

Feet. 

White and dark clays with pyrite at 35 

White sandy limestone at 85 

Gray limestone with fragments of shells at 103 

Dark clay at 160 

Yellow coarse sand at 215 

White kaolin at 270 

Fine white sand at 285 

Dark pyritif erous sand at 335 

White kaolin at 370 

Rather coarse brownish sand at 387 

White sand at 426 

Fine white sand at 436 

The materials at 35, 85, 103, and 160 feet probably belong to the 
Claiborne group of the Eocene. The strata below the dark clay at 
160 feet are probably of Lower Cretaceous age. If this interpretation 
is correct the water-bearing beds at 325 and 425 feet are in the Lower 
Cretaceous deposits and those at 120 and 185 feet are in the Claiborne 
group. 

Mayor A. W. Evans has furnished the following information con- 
cerning the municipal water plant at Sandersville: 

The plant is under municipal ownership. The supply is derived 
from artesian wells (Nos. 3 and 4, Table 90). Air-lift pumps having 
a combined capacity of 200 gallons per minute raise the water to a 
reservoir with a capacity of 125,000 gallons, from which it is pumped 
to a tank with a capacity of 75,000 gallons. There are 6 miles of 
distributing mains. The standpipe pressure is 50 pounds and the 
direct pressure from the pumps 70 pounds. There are 200 taps for 
domestic purposes, 5 taps for manufacturing purposes, and 51 fire 
hydrants. Sixty-six thousand gallons are used daily. An analysis 
of the water is given in Table 91 (analysis 4). 

McCallie says further: "The two private deep wells of Sanders- 
ville, one owned by Mr. Lewis Cohen, and the other by Dr. C. G. 
Rawlins, each has about the same depth as the deeper city well, and 
penetrates similar strata." The well owned by Mr. Cohen is 400 feet 
or more deep. The water is probably derived from a bed in the 
upper part of the Lower Cretaceous deposits. An analysis is given 
in Table 91 (analysis 5). 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 185-187, 190S. 



WASHINGTON COUNTY. 



445 



Tennille (population 1,622, census of 1910). — Information concern- 
ing the development of artesian supplies at Tennille is given by 
McCallie. 1 

In the report just cited * McCallie has published the following log 
of the first city well (No. 5, Table 90), which he obtained from the 
notes of the well contractor : 

Log of first city well at Tennille (No. 5, Table 90). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sandy clay 

White clay 

Yellow sandy clay 

White sand 

Yellowish limestone in the form of bowlders 

Gray sand 

White sand 

White sandstone containing shells 

Bluish marl ■. 

Yellow clay 

Brownish sand containing sharks' teeth and fragments of oyster shells 

Blue marl 

Quicksand 

Blue marl 

White clay 

Blue clay 

Blue and gray sands 

Blue clay 

Quicksand , 

White clay and sand 

Coarse white sand 

White "sticky" clay 

Red clay 

White clay 

Clay and sand, except at 820 feet, where sandstone occurs 



Feet. 
38 
14 
28 
11 

5 

7 
27 
10 
45 

9 
16 
50 
10 
30 
10 
40 
10 
44 
32 

4 
30 
30 
30 
20 
440 



Feet. 



38 
52 
80 
91 
96 
103 
130 
140 
185 
194 
210 
260 
270 
300 
310 
350 
360 
404 
436 
440 
470 
500 
530 
550 



The upper 250 or 300 feet of strata is referred tentatively to the 
Claiborne group of the Eocene and the remainder to the Lower Cre- 
taceous. An analysis of the water is given in Table 91 (analysis 6). 

McCallie mentions a second city well, which is known to be about 
300 feet deep and which probably penetrated water-bearing sands in 
the upper part of the Lower Cretaceous deposits. 

Oconee. — A flowing artesian well has been drilled at Oconee. J.W. 
Barksdale, the postmaster, furnishes the following information: 

The well was drilled by the town in 1908 on a slope about 75 yards 
northeast of the post office, 10 feet above the Central of Georgia 
Railway tracks and 231 feet above sea level. It is 140 feet deep and 
has 4-inch casing to 40 feet and 3-inch casing to 120 feet. The water 
comes from a bed of sand and gravel at the bottom of the well and 
will rise 10 feet above the surface; it now flows several gallons per 
minute 4 feet above the surface. Sand caving from the walls of the 
well below the end of the casing is slowly filling the boring and caus- 
ing a gradual decrease in the flow. The water has a slight odor of 
hydrogen sulphide but is used for general domestic purposes. The 
cost of the well was $220. 



i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 187-188, 1908. 



446 TJNDERGROTJISrD WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN" OP GEORGIA. 

The Oconee well penetrates Lower Cretaceous strata only, and the 
water comes from a bed of sand and gravel. An analysis is given in 
Table 91 (analysis 3). 

Chalker. — At Chalker and vicinity there are many wells 50 feet or 
more, and some 100 feet in depth. All tap water-bearing beds in 
Lower Cretaceous deposits. 

Davisboro (population 589, census of 1910). — McCalHVhas described 
a flowing well (No. 1, Table 90) 325 feet deep, owned by the town 
of Davisboro, which yields 5 gallons per minute. The following is a 
log of the well: 

Log of town well at Davisboro (No. 1, Table 90). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sand 

Brownish clay with white pebbles 

Coarse white "sand 

Dark greenish marl 

Shell rock with sharks' teeth 

Water-bearing sands with fragments of shells which continue to quicksand at the bottom 
of the well 



Feet. 
20 
20 
20 
20 



Feet. 



The water-bearing bed is probably in the Claiborne group of the 
Eocene. An analysis is given in Table 91 (analysis 1). 

Mineral Spring. — According to T. Julian Orr, of Davisboro, Mineral 
Spring, 4 miles west of Davisboro, owned by W. J. Henderson, pos- 
sesses therapeutic properties. A mineral analysis of the water is 
given in Table 91 (analysis 2). 

Table 90. — Wells in Washington County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 


1 








S.W-. McCallie.2... 
James W. Barks- 
dale. 
S. W.McCaUie^.. 
do 


1882 
1908 

1900 
1904 
1892 


Feet. 


?, 




..do 


J. B. Carter 


231 


3 




do 




4 


....do 


....do 






5 




do 




do 


477 















i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 188, 189, 1908. 
2 Idem, pp. 185-189. 



WASHINGTON COUNTY. 
Table 90. — Wells in Washington County — Continued. 



447 





Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 
325 

140 

436 

195 
990 


Inches. 
2 

3 

4* 

6 
4 


Feet. 
88-325 

120-140 

425 


Feet. 
70-120 

70, 120 
185,325 


Feet. 

+ 3 

+ 10 
-134 


Galls. 
5 


Galls. 


Flows 


See analysis 1, Table 

91. 
See analysis 3, Table 

91. 
Soft; see analysis 4, 

Table 91. 
Hard. 


? 


do 


? 




120 
150 




4 






s 




380-426 


- 90 






See analysis 6, Table 
91. 











No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 










? 


do 


Lower Cretaceous. 
do 


Sand and gravel... 
White sand 


4-inch casing to 40 feet, 3-inch casing to 
120 feet; caving of sand is decreasing 
flow. 


3 




4 






12 inches in diameter at top, 4 inches 

at bottom. 
Not used ; another well owned by city 

is said to be 300± feet deep. See log, 

p. 445. 


5 




Lower Cretaceous. 


Sand 









Table 91. — Analyses of underground waters from Washington County. 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 




Well owned by 
the town. 

Mineral spring 
of W. J. Hen- 
derson. 

Town flowing 
well. 

First town well. 

Well of L. D. 

Cohen. 
Town well 


Davisboro 

Davisboro, 4 miles 
west of. 


Claiborne group. 
do 


Feet. 
88-325 


Edgar Everhart. a 


?, 


Apr., 1909 
Apr. 24,1911 


Do. 


3 


Lower Cretace- 
ous sand and 
gravel. 

Lower Cretace- 
ous. 
do 

do 


120-140 

70-325? 

400± 

380-426 


Do. 


4 


Sandersville 

do 

Tennille 




5 
6 


Apr. 24,1911 
do 


Do. 
Do. 











a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 185-189, 1908. 



448 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Table 91. — Analyses of underground waters from Washington County — Continued. 

[Parts per million.] 

















CO 


a> 


a 


» 




_CJ 


T3 


































6 
55 


6 

CO 

03 

u 

s 


b 

o 


"5" 
o 

a" 
3 

'3 


a 

.3 

a 


a 

O 
CO 


a 

3 

i 

o 
Fh 


•3 
03 

©O 

IS 

a 

o 

1 


•a 

03 

Is 

3 


■a 

oj^. 

-d 

®co 

03^ 

3 
CO 


o 
•a . 

03 'n 
03 


3 

CD 

.3 

o 

3 
o 


03 
fcJC 

°c 

fig 

••3 s 
_03 

"o 


O . 

"a 
o 
Eh 


Remarks. 


1 


13 


a4.0 


59 


1.8 


14 


3.7 


105 




7.2 




5.6 




213 


A trace of the phosphate rad- 
icle (P0 4 ). Well 1, Table 
90. 

F v ee carbon d ioxide (C O2) = 5. 


2 


17 


o.C 


56 


.9 


1.6 


.6 


.0 


173 


1.4 




3.0 




166 


3 


16 


1.0 


29 


3.0 


1 


4 


.0 


110 


8.0 


Tr. 


3.5 




134 


Well 2, Table 90. 


4 


27 


alO 


75 


2.7 


9.6 


1.9 


125 




4.2 




6.8 




264 


Total depth of well 436 feet. 
A trace of the phosphate 
radicle (P0 4 ). Well 3, 
Table 90. 


5 


38 


.2 


60 


6.0 


8 





.0 


234 


5.0 


0.2 


3.5 




234 




6 


19 


1.0 


4.0 


2.0 


6. 





.0 


12 


Tr. 


.5 


12 




65 


Well 5, Table 90. 



a Fe 2 3 +Al 2 03. 



WAYNE COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 

Wayne County is in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Jesup, the county seat, is at the intersection of the Atlantic 
Coast Line Railroad and the Southern Railway, 57 miles southwest of 
Savannah and 39 miles northwest of Brunswick. The area of the 
county is 764 square miles and the population is 13,069 (census of 
1910). 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county presents two well-marked topographic divisions. The 
greater part of the area southeast of Jesup and the Waycross line of 
the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad is a poorly drained pine and saw- 
palmetto flat or plain lying 60 to 100 feet above sea level and con- 
taining many small swamps and cypress ponds. It forms part of the 
Okefenokee plain, and its soil, vegetation, and topographic aspect 
are characteristic of that physiographic division. The northwestern 
part of the county lies 100 to 175 feet above sea level, is slightly 
undulating, and is more completely drained. Its topographic aspect 
approaches that of the Altamaha upland or long-leaf pine region. 

Altamaha River, which marks the northeastern boundary of the 
county, has its source in the Piedmont Plateau of Georgia and is a so- 
called muddy-water stream. On the Wayne County side it is bordered 
by high, steep bluffs. The smaller streams of the county are sluggish 
and are confined by low sandy banks or are spread out through 
swamps ; their waters are black or coffee-colored from their high con- 
tent of organic matter. 



WAYNE COUNTY. 449 



GEOLOGY. 



From a few miles southeast of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad to 
the northern part of the county undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleisto- 
cene deposits, consisting of 100 feet or less of irregularly bedded 
sands and clays, in part water bearing, form the surface materials 
and weather to loose gray sands. The remainder of the county is 
covered by sands and clays of Pleistocene age, probably not exceed- 
ing 50 feet in thickness. The undifferentiated and the known Pleisto- 
cene deposits are the source of the waters obtained in shallow wells. 
The undifferentiated sands, clays, limestones, and marls of Tertiary 
age, which underlie the surficial deposits, probably include, in descend- 
ing order, representatives of the Pliocene, Miocene, Oligocene, and 
Eocene. (See logs of wells at Jesup, Mount Pleasant, and Doctortown 
pp. 450-453.) Strata belonging to the Miocene and to the Alum 
Bluff formation have been recognized in the bluffs of Altamaha River 
at and above Doctortown. It is believed that the Tertiary deposits 
are underlain by a considerable thickness of sediments of Cretaceous 
age, and that at some unknown depth, perhaps 3,000 feet or more, 
the Cretaceous deposits rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline 
rocks. 

The Tertiary deposits and probably also the Cretaceous deposits 
contain important water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug and driven wells 10 to 30 feet deep tap water-bearing beds 
in the surficial deposits and are the chief sources of domestic water 
supply throughout the county. The waters obtained are soft, and 
where the wells are properly curbed to prevent contamination from 
surface sources are of satisfactory quality for domestic use; some of 
them, however, are rather strongly ferruginous. The driven well 
consists of a small iron pipe with a strainer point driven down to 
water-bearing sand and a small suction pump attached above the 
ground. This type of well is inexpensive and is practicable through- 
out the county, for water-bearing sands and gravels lie at small depths 
and no hard rocks are present. Such wells are preferable to open 
dug wells, because they afford less opportunity for pollution from 
surface sources. 

Artesian wells have been drilled at Jesup, Doctortown, and Mount 
Pleasant. 

Most of the few small seepage springs are in low swampy places, 
and many of them yield waters having an astringent taste or a strong 
38418°— wsp 341—15 29 



450 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

taste of iron. Streams and ponds furnish water for stock and for 
boiler supply. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,000 
feet or more. The Tertiary limestones at 300 to 1,200 feet or more will 
yield large quantities of water. 

It is probable that flowing wells can be obtained in the southeastern 
part of the county and in the valleys of the Altamaha, Satilla, and 
Little Satilla rivers wherever the elevation above sea level does not 
exceed 65 feet. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Jesup (population 1,415, census of 1910). — The town of Jesup 
has recently drilled a well 675 feet deep to obtain a municipal water 
supply. Water which rises to within 30 feet of the surface was 
obtained between 600 and 670 feet; the yield by pumping is 1,000 
gallons per minute. (See well 3, Table 92 ; and analysis 1, Table 93.) 
The following log has been furnished by the Hughes Specialty Well 
Drilling Co., of Charleston, S. C: 

Log of town well at Jesup (No. 3, Table 92). 
[Authority, C. C. Roberts, driller in charge.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Black soil 

White sand 

Red clay 

Red sandy clay 

Gray marl 

Coarse light sand 

Gray marl 

White sand 

Blue marl 

Gray gravel 

Hard gray sandstone 

Blue marl 

Hard gray layer of shells 

Coarse gray sand 

Hard gray layer of shells 

Blue marl 

Hard gray sandstone 

Gray sandy marl 

Hard sandstone 

Coarse gray sand 

Hard shell rock 

White sand 

Hard gray sandstone 

Blue marl 

Gray sandstone, water bearing in lower 30 feet 

Gray sandy marl, water bearing 

Hard gray sandstone, water bearing 



Feet. 

1 

5 
12 
37 
20 
50 
10 
15 
15 
19 
21 
15 
35 
10 
25 

5 
25 
20 
45 
10 
70 
10 
60 
15 
80 

8 
37 



Feet. 



18 
55 

75 
125 
135 
150 
165 
184 
205 
220 
255 
265 
290 
295 
320 
340 
385 
395 
465 
475 
535 
550 
630 
638 
675 



WAYNE COUNTY. 



451 



The following log of a well, drilled in 1890 and owned by the town 
but not now in use, has been given by Spencer : * 

Log of town well at Jesup (No. 2, Table 92). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sana 

Quicksand 

Yellow clay soil with layers of quicksand 

Quicksand 

Limestone 

Quicksand 

Limestone 

Clay with sand 

Soft spongy rock 

Blue marl 

Quicksand; water rose within 33 feet of the surface 



Feet. 

10 

4 

12 

26 

3 

10 

■ 13 

155 

4 

253 

(?) 



Feet. 
10 
14 
26 
52 
55 
65 
78 
233 
237 
490 
(?) 



The limestone at 55 feet probably corresponds to the Miocene 
marl exposed in the bluffs of Altamaha River near Doctortown. 

Mount Pleasant. — Mount Pleasant is a village of 100 inhabitants 
in the southeastern part of the county at an elevation of 59 feet above 
sea level. A well owned by L. R. Akin is 729 5 feet deep and flows 
10 feet above the surface. The water is used for domestic and 
boiler-supply purposes. (See well 4, Table 92, and analysis 2, 
Table 93.) 

Another well (No. 5, Table 92) owned by the Southern States Pine 
Products Co., one-half mile southwest of Mount Pleasant, was drilled 
in 1906 by the Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co. (J. R. Connelly, 
driller in charge). It is 560 feet deep and has 6-inch casing to 210 
feet and 4^-inch casing to 345 feet. The main supply comes from 
540 to 560 feet, but some water comes from 430 feet. The static 
head is 19^ feet above the surface and the well flows 150 gallons per 
minute. Mr. Connelly, who furnished the information just given, has 
also furnished a set of well samples (U. S. Geol. Survey well 1416) 
from which the following log has been prepared: 



1 Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 75, 1891. 



452 UNDEKGKOUND WATEJRS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 

Log of well of Southern States Pine Products Co., one-half mile southwest of Mount 
Pleasant (No. 5, Table 92). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Fine gray sand 

Fine gray sand containing fragments of shells 

Coarse argillaceous sand with small fragments of fossils 

Missing 

Fine gray sand with small fragments of fossils 

Soft gray sand, limestone, or marl, with numerous fragments of Ostrea, Pecten, etc 

Fine gray, slightly argillaceous sand with small fragments of fossils 

Gray, coarsely arenaceous clay 

Gray, slightly argillaceous sand with small fragments of fossils 

Missing 

Fine gray, slightly micaceous and calcareous sand 

Medium-grained clear quartz sand 

Missing 

Fine light-gray sand , 

Coarse clear sand, chiefly quartz; water bearing at 206 feet; water rises to within 10 feet of 
surface 

Fine dark-gray argillaceous, slightly calcareous sand 

Gray medium-grained sand with numerous small fragments of shells 

Very fine micaceous, slightly argillaceous sand 

Medium-grained calcareous clear quartz sand with scattered dark grains (phosphate?). . . 

Missing 

Gray sandy clay 

Fine gray micaceous sand and chunks of sandy clay 

Missing 

Medium-grained, very calcareous clear quartz sand 

Gray fine micaceous, argillaceous sand 

Medium-grained calcareous clear quartz sand with dark grains (phosphate?); water 
bearing; water rises to 10 feet above the surface and flows at the rate of 30 gallons per 
minute 

Fine gray calcareous sand 

Medium-grained gray calcareous sand 

(Samples labeled 440 to 470, 470 to 480, and 480 to 500consistof coarse grains of quartz, 
dark pebbles of phosphate?, and fragments of limestone, and appear to be washings.) 

White sandy limestone; water bearing in lower 20 feet; waterrises 19£feetabove the sur- 
face and flows 150 gallons per minute 



Feet. 
20 
20 
13 

2 
14 

2 
25 
19 
28 

4 
13 

5 

3 
26 

16 
75 

8 
40 

6 

2 
U 
28 
20 
18 

4 



Feet. 

20 

40 

53 

55 

69 

71 

96 

115 

143 

147 

160 

165 

168 

194 

210 
285 
293 
333 
339 
341 
352 
380 
400 
418 
422 



430 

472 
476 



560 



Doctortown. — Doctortown is in the northeastern part of the county 
near Altamaha River. The following log of an oil-prospecting well, 
a mile to the southwest, has been published by McCallie: 1 



i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 190-192, 1908. 



WAYNE COUNTY. 



453 



Log of oil-prospecting well near Doctortown (No. 1, Table 92). 
[Authority, C. A. Gibson.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sand 

Sand and yellow clay with some shells 

Sand and laminated clay 

Conglomerate and marl; water rises to within 20 feet of the surface . 

Sand, gravel, and laminated clay 

Greenish-gray marl and chalky limestone with some pebbles 

Quicksand and marl 

Layers of hard rock, marl, and conglomerate 

Marl with sandstone layers and some limestone 

Quicksand with layers of conglomerate 

Soft limestone and sandstone with flint layers 2 feet thick 

Quicksand 

Marl and soft limestone 

Quicksand containing a large supply of water 

Quicksand 

Soft limestone 

Hard limestone with layers of sand 

Water-bearing limestone (quicksand at 793 feet) 

Gray limestone and brown sandstone 

Sandstone 

Limestone 

Soft limestone 

Salt water and sand 

Hard limestone 

Limestone in hard and soft layers 

Limestone with some sand 

Limestone 

Limestone with two shell layers 

Limestone with hard layers 

Limestone, very hard 

Limestone and sand 

Limestone, mostly hard 

Limestone 

Hard limestone 

Soft limestone 

Hard limestone 

Soft limestone 

Gray and brown sands 

Dark-brown sand 

Sand mixed with pebbles 

Light-colored sand 

Glauconitic sand 



Feet. 

20 

35 

25 

15 

40 

50 

45 

25 

40 

30 

28 

40 

15 
7 

50 
2 

44 
318 

20 

45 

35 

10 

16.5 

10.5 

22 

17 

14 

17 

15 

13 

6 

134 

18 

33 

59 

18 
138 
170 

84 

26 

12 
139 



Feet. 
20 
55 
80 
95 
135 
185 
230 
255 
295 
325 
353 
393 
408 
415 
465 
467 
511 
829 



929 
939 
955.5 



1,005 
1,019 
1,036 
1,051 
1,064 
1,070 
1,204 
1,222 
1,255 
1,314 
1,332 
1,470 
1,640 
1,724 
1,750 
1,762 
1,901 



This well was commenced in July, 1905, and completed the last of May, 1906, at a 
cost of between $15,000 and $20,000. It is cased with 10-inch pipe to 460 feet, 
8|-inch pipe to 540 feet, and 6-inch pipe to a point within a few feet of the bottom. 
The first hard ledge of rock reported in the well occurs at 480 feet. The sample of 
borings marked 550 to 725 feet contains numerous fragments of Eocene shells. The 
material consists largely of limestone, and it continues to 1,490 feet, below which 
point the following samples were collected: 

Sample marked 1,470 feet consists of medium fine-grained sand with fragments 
of corals, shells, and particles of glauconite. 

Sample marked 1,505 feet, glauconitic sand with sharks' teeth and fragments of 
shells. 

Sample marked 1,750 feet, grayish marl made up largely of fragments of corals and 
shells. 

Sample marked 1,838 feet, glauconite. 

The well just described probably penetrates all the Tertiary- 
deposits and enters the upper part of the Cretaceous, although no 
fossil evidence to this effect was obtained. 



454 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 
Table 92. — Wells in Wayne County. 



No. 


Location. 


Owner. 


Driller. 


Authority. 


Date 
com- 
pleted. 


Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 

eleva- 
tion 

above 
sea 

level. 


1 


Doctortown (near 
river). 


Oil prospecting 

companv. 
Town 


C. A. Gilson 


S.W.McCallieo... 

J. W. Spencer 6 

Hughes Specialty 
Well Drilling 
Co., Charleston, 
S. C., and James 
Steele, town 
clerk. 


1906 

1890 
1912 

1902 
1906 


Feet. 

74 

100 


3 


Jesup (500 yards 
northeast of post 
office). 

Mount Pleasant... 
do 


do 


Hughes Specialty Well 
Drilling Co., Charles- 
ton, S.C.; C.C.Rob- 
erts, driller in charge. 

Fred Baumgartner, 
Brunswick. 

Hughes Specialty Well 
Drilling Co., Charles- 
ton, S. C. 


100 


4 


L. R. Akin 

Southern States 
Pine Products 
Co. 


55 ± 


5 


J. R. Connelly, 
Varnville, S. C. 


59 





Depth. 


Diam- 
eter. 


Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 


Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 


Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 


Yield per 
minute. 


How obtained. 




No. 


Flow. 


Pump. 


Quality. 


1 


Feet. 

1,901 

490+ 
675 

729.5 

560 


Inches. 
6 


Feet. 


Feet. 
(SO, 408, 
toll, 939 


Feet. 
\ 


Galls. 


Galls. 






9, 


1 

-33 
-30 

+ 10 










3 

4 


8 
3 

4* 


600-670 






1,000 


Air-lift pump 


See analysis 1, Table 

93. 
See analysis 2, Table 

93. 


5 


540-560 


206, 430 


150 




do 











No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 








This is an oil-prospecting well. See 

log, p. 453. 
This well is not now in use. See log, 

p. 451. 
10-inch casing to 60 feet, 8-inch casing to 

480 feet. Cost of well, 83,500; of 

pumps, $1,635. See log, p. 450. 
Bored type. 


? 




Oligocene or Eo- 
cene. 




3 


Municipal supply. 

Domestic and 
manufacturing. 


Sandstone and 
sandy marl. 


4 


do 


5 


Oligocene or Eo- 
cene. 


Sandy limestone . . 


210 feet of 6-inch easing and 345 feet of 






4A-inch casing. See log, p. 452. 



a. Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 190-192, 1908. 

b Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 75, 1891. 



WEBSTER COUNTY. 



455 



Table 93. — Analyses of well waters in Wayne County. 
[Parts per million.] 



Silica (Si0 2 ) 

Iron(Fe) 

Calcium (Ca) 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Sodium and potassium (Na-|-K) 

Carbonate radicle (CO3) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3) 

Sulphate radicle (SO4) 

Nitrate radicle (NO3) 

Chlorine (CI) 

Total dissolved solids 



40 


42 


6.0 


4.0 


19 


31 


20 


24 


26 


25 


.0 


.0 


177 


177 


35 


70 


Trace. 


Trace. 


7.0 


18 


229 


303 



1. Well 3, Table 92. Sample collected Dec. 14, 1912; Edgar Everhart, analyst. 

2. Well 4, Table 92. Sample collected Dee. 23, 1912; Edgar Everhart, analyst. 

WEBSTER COUNTY. 



GENERAL FEATURES. 

Webster County is in the northwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Its northern boundary is 25 to 30 miles south of the fall line. 
Its area is 302 square miles and its population is 6,151 (census of 1910). 
Agriculture is the chief industry. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The greater part of the county is a dissected upland plain and is 
hilly and broken except for some small, nearly level interstream areas. 
The northern upland lies 500 to 600 feet above sea level, but slopes 
slightly southward to 450 to 550 feet. Some of the streams have cut 
valleys 150 to 175 feet deep, and their small tributaries have cut 
precipitous V-shaped gullies or ravines. 

GEOLOGY. 

In the extreme northwest the Providence sand member of the Ripley 
formation (Upper Cretaceous), which appears at the surface, consists 
of coarse, irregularly bedded water-bearing sands with subordinate 
light-colored clay lenses and layers. The Providence sand is under- 
lain by 1,200 to 1,500 feet of sands, clays, and marls, belonging in 
descending order to the Ripley and Eutaw formations of the Upper 
Cretaceous, but these do not appear at the surface within the county. 
They contain water-bearing beds and constitute a possible source of 
artesian water. 

The Upper Cretaceous deposits are underlain by several hundred 
feet of water-bearing sands and clays of Lower Cretaceous age which, 
at an unknown depth, perhaps 2,000 or 2,500 feet, rest upon a base- 
ment of ancient crystalline rocks. 



456 UNDERGKOUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The Providence sand inclines slightly southeast and is overlain by 
several hundred feet of sands, clays, marls, and limestones of Eocene 
age which, although not accurately discriminated within the county, 
are believed to represent in ascending order the Midway and Wilcox 
formations and the Claiborne group. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.) The Mid- 
way formation outcrops over nearly all the northwestern half of the 
county. The Wilcox formation outcrops in an irregular belt several 
miles wide, extending in a general northeast-southwest direction, 
through the southeastern part of the county. The Claiborne group 
appears in relatively small areas in the south and east. The Eocene 
formations contain important water-bearing beds. 

On the narrow divide between Ichawaynochaway and Lochochee 
creeks, from a few miles northwest of Weston southeastward to the 
county line, is a thin overlapping sheet of red argillaceous sand con- 
taining fragments and masses of flint which belong to the Vicksburg 
formation of the Oligocene. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug or bored wells 30 to 90 feet deep are the chief sources of 
domestic water supply. Bored wells, when properly cased, yield safer 
drinking waters than dug wells. One deep well has been drilled at 
Preston. 

Small springs are numerous and are used for domestic purposes on 
many of the farms. Most of the springs issue from noncalcareous 
sands in the Midway, Wilcox, and Claiborne formations, but a few 
are bold limestone springs. The best known is Cole Spring, on the 
south side of Kinchafoonee Creek, 2\ miles southeast of Preston. 

The streams are clear and comparatively free from organic matter 
and are used locally for stock and for boiler supply. 

It is possible to obtain artesian water in the county at depths of 
100 to 1,500 feet or more. The prospects for obtaining flows are poor 
except perhaps in the lowlands bordering Kinchafoonee Creek in the 
extreme southeast. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Preston (population 259, census of 1910). — Preston has no public 
water-supply system, but owns a deep well located on the courthouse 
grounds, which furnishes a large part of the water for general domestic 
purposes. According to T. J. James, the driller, the well was com- 
pleted in 1910, is 249 feet deep, and is 3 inches in diameter. The cost 
of the well and pumping machinery was $680. The principal water- 
bearing bed is sand at 499 feet and the water rises within 76 feet of 
the surface. The well is pumped by means of a gasoline engine and 
yields 500 gallons per hour. Mr. James has furnished the following 
log: 



WILCOX COUNTY. 457 

Log of town well at Preston. 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sand 

Clay and sand 

Sand and marl 

Alternating layers of hard rock 2 inches to 6 feet thick, and marl 1 foot to 15 feet thick; 
a water-bearing bed of small yield was struck at 240 feet, and sand, the principal water- 
bearing bed, at the bottom of the well 



Feet. 
10 
90 



Feet. 
10 
100 

175 



499 



The well probably taps a water-bearing bed in the Ripley formation. 
WHEELER COUNTY. 

Since this report was transmitted for publication a part of Mont- 
gomery County has been segregated and organized as Wheeler County. 
This area is described in connection with Montgomery County 
(pp. 344-348). 

WILCOX COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Wilcox County is a little northwest of the center of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia. Its area is 403 square miles and its population is 13,486 
(census of 19 10) . Agriculture and the production of lumber and naval 
stores are the chief industries. Cottonseed-oil mills are located at 
Abbeville and Pitts ; cotton gins and sawmills are distributed through- 
out the county. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is nearly level to slightly rolling, except in a narrow 
area in the east bordering Ocmulgee River, where the surface is some- 
what hilly. From a few determinations of altitude it is estimated that 
the general upland surface is 300 to 450 feet above sea level. The 
highest part is the divide running northeast and southwest through 
the county between Ocmulgee and Alapaha rivers. According to a 
bench mark established by the United States Army Engineers at the 
Seaboard Air Line Railway bridge near Abbeville, the elevation of 
low-water level of Ocmulgee River is 169 feet above sea leveL The 
river is bordered by two narrow terrace plains, one about 15 feet and 
the other 50 or 60 feet above low-water level of the river. 

There are a number of lime sinks and lime-sink ponds in the eastern 
part of the county. 

GEOLOGY. 

The Vicksburg formation (of Oligocene age), which consists of 100 
feet or less of limestones with interbedded layers of sand and clay, 
outcrops in the valley of Ocmulgee River in the extreme northeast. 



458 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

The strata dip slightly southward and underlie the remainder of the 
county beneath younger formations. The Vicksburg formation is 
overlain by 100 feet or less of limestones belonging to the Chatta- 
hoochee formation of the Oligocene that outcrops on Ocmulgee River 
in the vicinity of Abbeville. Both the Vicksburg and Chattahoochee 
formations contain important water-bearing beds. 

In the south the Chattahoochee formation is overlain by the Alum 
Bluff formation (of Oligocene age), which consists of 100 feet or less 
of bluish sands and clays, in part water bearing. 

Overlapping the Alum Bluff, Chattahoochee, and Vicksburg forma- 
tions and constituting the surface terrane throughout the greater 
part of the county is 75 feet or less of irregularly bedded sands and 
clays with subordinate lenses of claystone and conglomerate. The 
age of these deposits is not determined, but they are probably upper 
Oligocene. 

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by several hundred feet of 
undifferentiated deposits of Eocene age, and the Eocene is underlain 
in turn by 1,000 feet or more of undifferentiated deposits of Creta- 
ceous age, which rest upon a deeply buried basement of ancient 
crystalline rocks. The Eocene and Cretaceous strata do not appear 
at the surface within the county, but they contain important deeply 
buried water-bearing beds. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Water for domestic use is obtained chiefly from dug wells 10 to 40 
feet deep. The shallow-well waters are generally soft and wholesome, 
and where the wells are properly curbed to prevent contamination 
from surface sources they are more suitable for boiler supply and 
laundry purposes than the artesian waters. Artesian wells have been 
drilled at Abbeville, Pine view, Pitts, and Rochelle. (See Table 94.) 

A few bold limestone springs in the eastern part of the county afford 
clear water of good quality for drinking. Poor Robin Spring, near 
Abbeville, is described on page 460. The water of Abbeville Mineral 
Spring, near Abbeville, is bottled and sold for drinking purposes. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 
of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. Wells 600 feet deep in the valley of 
Ocmulgee River will probably flow where the elevation does not exceed 
50 or 60 feet above low-water level. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Abbeville (population 1,201, census of 1910). — Abbeville owns a 
public water-supply system which obtains water from an artesian well. 
Although the water is regarded as hard it is wholesome for drinking. 



WILCOX COUNTY. 459 

About one-half of the domestic water supply of the town is furnished 
by the city plant and the remainder is obtained from shallow wells. 
McCallie * gives the following information regarding wells at 
Abbeville : 

There are two deep wells at Abbeville, one owned by the town and the other by the 
Abbeville Cotton Seed Oil Co. The former well, which was completed in 1898 at a 
cost of $1,600, is 585 feet deep . It varies from 2 to 8 inches in diameter and it furnishes 
50 gallons of water per minute. The water rises to within 60 feet of the surface. 
Several water-bearing strata are reported between 100 feet and the bottom of the well. 
Cavernous limestone is said to be the main water carrier. 

The Abbeville Cotton Seed Oil Mill well was put down in 1902 at a cost of $350. It 
is a 3-inch well, 175 feet deep, and it furnished daily 13,000 gallons of water, used 
chiefly for boiler purposes. The water rises to within 80 feet of the surface. Water- 
bearing strata are reported at 105 feet and 175 feet, respectively. 

McCallie also gives the following log of the last-described well: 

Log of well of the Abbeville Cotton Seed Oil Mill, Abbeville (No. 2, Table 94). 
[Authorities, the owners.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Sand and clay 

Sand 

Hard flinty rock. 



Feet. 
20 
40 
115 



Feet. 
20 
60 
175 



Rochelle (population 860, census of 1910). — Rochelle owns an arte- 
sian well, but has not installed a system for distributing the water. 
However, the well is equipped with a pump, operated by a gasoline 
engine, which raises the water to a tank. The following information 
is given by McCallie : 1 

The Rochelle well is 3 inches in diameter and 286 feet deep. The only water- 
bearing stratum is near the bottom of the well. It furnishes a good supply of water, 
rising to within 150 feet of the surface. The water is used for general domestic pur- 
poses. 

The following log of the town well at Rochelle is given by McCallie: 

Log of town well, Rochelle (No. 6, Table 94)- 
[Authority, J. C Conn, Atlanta.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Red clay 

Black sand 

Hard flinty rock . 



Feet. 
75 
75 
136 



Feet. 
75 
150 
286 



i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 193, 1908. 



460 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Pineview (population 708, census of 1910). — A well owned by the 
town of Pineview is 210 feet deep and furnishes water for general 
domestic purposes to about 200 of the inhabitants. Rock is said to 
have been entered at a depth of 110 feet and the water rises to 
within 46 feet of the surface. 

The following log of a well owned by J. S. Bruce at Pineview is 
given by McCallie : * 

Log oftoell of J. S. Bruce, Pineview (No. 4, Table 94). 

[Authority, the owner.] 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Reddish clays 

Yellowish jointed clays. 

Soft limestone 

Water-bearing cavity . . . 



Feet. 

20 

100 

155 

18 



Feet. 

20 

120 

275 

293 



Pitts (population 279, census of 1910). — At Pitts a well owned by 
the Pitts Oil Mill & Power Co. is 300 feet deep. The water rises to 
within 80 feet of the surface and is used for boiler supply. 

Poor Robin Spring. — Poor Robin Spring, a mile north of Abbeville, 
yields 5,000 gallons per minute, according to the owner, W. L. 
Du Vail. The water rises under considerable pressure through 
openings in the bottom of a small limestone basin 15 or 20 feet deep 
and is remarkably clear. Fragments of flint found near the spring 
contain coral and other fossils which probably indicate that the 
limestone belongs to the Chattahoochee formation. Therapeutic 
properties have been ascribed to the water and the place is a local 
resort. The following analysis of a sample of the water collected 
June 1, 1911, was made by Edgar Everhart: 

Analysis of water from Poor Robin Spring, Abbeville. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 14 

Iron (Fe) 4 

Calcium (Ca) 54 

Magnesium (Mg) 4. 

Sodium and potassium (Na+K) 3. 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 185 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 1. 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ). 2 

Chlorine (CI) 3.5 

Total dissolved solids 190 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 194, 1908. 



WILKINSON COUNTY. 

Table 94. — Wells in Wilcox County. 



461 



No. 



Location. 



Owner. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
of 
mouth 
above 
sea 
level. 



Abbeville 
....do... 
Pine view. 
....do... 

Pitts 

Rochelle. 



City 

Abbeville Cotton Seed Oil Mill . 

Town 

J. S. Bruce 

Pitts Oil Mill & Power Co 

Town 



S. W.McCallieo.. 

do 

L.J.Wilson 

Ownero 

J. N. McAllister . . 
J. C. Conn a 



1898 
1902 
1904 



Feet. 
225 
225 



1897 



No. 



Depth. 



Feet. 
585 
175 
210 
293 
300 
286 



Diam- 
eter. 



Inches. 
2 
3 
4 



Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 



175 
100 
275 



Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds 



105 



Level 

of 

water 

below 

surface. 



Feet. 
60 



Yield per 
minute. 



Flow. 



Galls. 



Pump. 



Galls. 
50 
10 
50 



How obtained. 



Deep- well pump... 



Air-lift pump . 



Quality. 



Slightly sulphurous. 



No. 


Use. 


Principal water bed. 


Remarks. 


Geologic horizon. 


Character. 


1 


Municipal supply . 






8 inches in diameter at top and 2 inches 

at bottom. 
See log, p. 459. 


9, 


Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 

Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 

Jackson forma- 
tion? 

Vicksburg forma- 
tion? 
do 




3 


Soft rock 


4 






$300; of pump, $50. 
See log, p. 460. 


5 








fi 




See log, p. 459. 











a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull 15, pp. 193, 194, 1908. 
WILKINSON COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 



Wilkinson County is in the north-central part of the Coastal Plain 
of Georgia. Its area is 472 square miles and its population (census 
of 1910) is 10,078. Agriculture is the chief industry. 



TOPOGRAPHY. 



The county is included within the physiographic division called 
the fall-line hills. The surface, which was originally an upland plain, 
has been greatly dissected by Oconee River and its numerous tribu- 



462 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

taries and is now very hilly. The maximum surface relief is prob- 
ably between 300 and 400 feet. 

Two Pleistocene terrace plains, not everywhere well denned, have 
been formed along the sides of Oconee River valley, one lying 10 to 
20 feet and the other 30 to 40 feet above low-water level of the river. 

GEOLOGY. 

Crystalline basement rocks outcrop in the bed of Oconee. River in 
the northern part of the county and extend southward beneath 
deposits of the Coastal Plain, their upper sloping surface probably 
lying at depths of 600 to 800 feet in the extreme south. The crys- 
talline rocks are overlain by 500 or 600 feet of irregularly bedded 
coarse sands with commercially important interbedded lenses of 
white clay and kaolin, all of Lower Cretaceous age. The Lower Cre- 
taceous sands and clays are unconformably overlain throughout the 
greater part of the county by Eocene strata. Porters and Commis- 
sioners creeks and Oconee River have cut through the Eocene deposits, 
bringing the Lower Cretaceous strata to the surface along the sides 
and bottoms of their valleys. 

The Eocene deposits, which on the divides between the streams 
probably reach a maximum thickness of 150 or 200 feet, have been 
referred to two divisions — the Claiborne group and the Jackson 
formation. The Claiborne group is composed chiefly of sands and 
clays, and the Jackson formation consists of limestones or residual 
products of limestones. (See PI. III.) Pleistocene terrace deposits 
have been laid down in small areas along the sides of the Oconee 
River valley. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

The domestic water supply in the county is obtained chiefly from 
dug wells 25 to 100 feet or more in depth and from small springs. 
The well waters are derived from beds of porous sand in the Lower 
Cretaceous deposits or in the Claiborne group of the Eocene. The 
waters of both wells and springs are commonly of good quality for 
domestic and industrial purposes. The numerous creeks and 
branches afford abundant water for stock and for steam production. 

The whole county is underlain by Lower Cretaceous deposits con- 
taining numerous beds of porous sand carrying large supplies of arte- 
sian water. The Lower Cretaceous beds appear at the surface in the 
valleys of Big Sandy Creek and Oconee River and their tributaries; 
but in all the interstream areas they are concealed by overlapping 
Eocene strata which probably reach a maximum thickness of 150 or 
200 feet in the southern part of the county. In the extreme north 
wells 100 feet deep would probably pass entirely through the Lower 



WILKINSON COUNTY. 463 

Cretaceous deposits and enter the underlying basement rocks. The 
Lower Cretaceous deposits thicken southward beneath the Eocene 
deposits, and in the extreme south their water-bearing beds prob- 
ably lie at depths of 200 to 800 feet. Small flows from Cretaceous 
water-bearing strata have been obtained on low ground at Irwinton 
and at Toomsboro, and it is probable that flowing wells can be drilled 
into the same source at low levels in the valleys of Big Sandy and 
Commissioners creeks and Oconee River in the southern half of the 
county. 

Moderate amounts of potable water may be obtained from beds of 
porous sand in the Claiborne group of the Eocene, which can be 
reached at depths of 50 to 200 feet in the south and at less depths 
in the north. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Detailed information concerning all of the deep wells in the county, 
except that recently drilled at Toomsboro, has been published by 
McCallie. 1 The water-bearing strata in these wells are in the Lower 
Cretaceous deposits. 

Irwinton (population 249, census of 1910). — McCallie described 
wells at Irwinton as follows : 

Two attempts have been made at Irwinton to obtain artesian water. The first of 
these wells, located on low ground, was put down to a depth of 300 feet, at which point 
a water-bearing stratum yielding a small flow was struck. This well continued to flow 
for a time, but it finally became filled with sand and was abandoned. The water is 
said to have had a rather offensive odor and an unpleasant taste, due, probably, to the 
presence of hydrogen sulphide and iron oxide. 

Another well, located on high ground, was extended to the depth of 600 feet, but the 
water did not rise higher than to within 50 feet of the surface. 

Toomsboro (population 404, census of 1910). — Mayor S. J. Nixon 
has furnished the following information regarding a public well 
drilled at Toomsboro in 1912: 

The well is 315 feet deep and was drilled by S. C. Attaway of 
Hawkinsville at a cost of $600. Its diameter is 2 inches, and 2-inch 
casing extends to a depth of 210 feet. Beds of water-bearing sand 
were encountered at depths of 185, 285, and 315 feet. The water 
flows 2 gallons per minute 2 feet above the surface, but will rise to 3 
feet above it. It is used chiefly for drinking. As the casing extends to 
only 210 feet the water is doubtless a mixture from the beds at 285 and 
315 feet. The age of the strata penetrated by the well is Lower 
Cretaceous. A sample collected December 16, 1912, was analyzed by 
Edgar Everhart as follows : 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 194, 1908. 



464 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Analysis of water from a flowing town well at Toomsboro. 

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 16 

Iron and aluminum (Fe+Al) 4.0 

Calcium (Ca) 18 

Magnesium (Mg) 2. 4 

Sodium and potassium (Na+K) 8. 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) .0 

Bicarbonate radicle (HC0 3 ) 54 

Sulphate radicle (S0 4 ) 13 

Nitrate radicle (N0 3 ) Trace. 

Chlorine (CI) 5. 

Total dissolved solids 94 

McCallie describes other wells at this place as follows: 

The Toomsboro well was put down in 1882 at a cost of $320. It is 1£ inches in 
diameter and 320 feet deep; it furnishes a flow rising 3 feet above the surface. When 
the well was first completed it flowed 8 gallons per minute, but the flow gradually- 
decreased until it finally ceased about four years after the well was completed. During 
last spring a second deep well was put down at Toomsboro, but no record of this well 
was secured. 

Gordon. — One deep well has been reported from Gordon. McCallie 

says: 

A 2-inch well, 365 feet deep, with water rising to within 19 feet of the surface, is 
reported at Gordon. About 20 feet of soft limestone, together with sands and clays, 
are said to have been penetrated in this well. The only water-bearing stratum re- 
ported is near the bottom of the well. 

WORTH COUNTY. 
GENERAL FEATURES. 

Worth County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 
Georgia. Its area is 651 square miles and its population is 19,147 
(census of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry, but the pro- 
duction of lumber and naval stores, though declining, is still carried 
on to an important extent. There are a few small manufacturing 
establishments at Sylvester and at Poulan. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The county is for the most part undulating or rolling, but some of 
the interstream areas are nearly level. The topography, soil, and 
native vegetation of the upland portion are characteristic of the 
physiographic division known as the Altamaha upland or long-leaf 
pine or wire-grass region. In the area drained by Abrams, Jones, 
and Swift creeks the surface is nearly level and is underlain by the 
limestones of the Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations; here 
lime sinks are common. Flint River, which forms the northwestern 
boundary of the county, is bordered by two Pleistocene terrace plains, 



WORTH COUNTY. 465 

one lying about 20 feet and the other about 60 feet above low-water 
level of the river. 

With the exception of Flint River the streams are all small. 

The known altitudes above sea level are Sumner, 350 feet; Poulan, 
312 feet; Sylvester, 370 (?) feet; and Willingkam, 299 feet. In the 
extreme northeastern part of the county, near the Tift and Turner 
county lines, the elevation of the higher land is believed to be approxi- 
mately 400 feet. 

GEOLOGY. 

Strata of Oligocene age underlie the entire county. They have 
not been accurately differentiated, but it is believed that they repre- 
sent in ascending order the Vicksburg, Chattahoochee, and Alum 
Bluff formations. 

The Vicksburg formation, which consists of 200 feet or more of 
cavernous water-bearing limestones in interbedded soft and compact 
layers, outcrops in the banks and bluffs of Flint River and appears 
as residual sands and clays over a belt several miles wide in the 
extreme northwest. 

The Chattahoochee formation is similar in its lithologic characters 
to the Vicksburg formation but probably does not exceed 100 feet 
in thickness. It comes to the surface in a narrow belt running 
northeast and southwest in the northwestern part of the county, 
where it is represented chiefly by residual sands and clays. 

The Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 150 to 200 feet of 
bluish sandy clays, sands, and sandstones, outcrops in a narrow 
belt lying southeast of the outcrop of the Chattahoochee formation. 
It contains water-bearing beds. 

The Alum Bluff formation is overlain by 100 feet or less of irregu- 
larly bedded coarse ferruginous sands and bluish sandy clays, per- 
haps of late Oligocene age. These beds form the surface materials 
throughout the remainder of the county and are the source of waters 
obtained in shallow wells. 

Pleistocene terrace deposits have been laid down in narrow areas 
bordering Flint River. 

Deeply buried beneath the Vicksburg formation are undifferen- 
tiated deposits of Eocene age, probably representing in descending 
order the Jackson formation and the Claiborne group and perhaps 
also the Wilcox and Midway formations. They contain water-bear- 
ing beds. The Eocene deposits are underlain in turn by deposits of 
Cretaceous age, the aggregate thickness of which is believed to be 
between 1,500 and 2,000 feet. These deposits also contain water- 
bearing beds. The Cretaceous deposits rest upon a deeply buried 
basement of ancient crystalline rocks. 
38418°— wse 341—15 30 



466 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER. 

Dug wells 20 to 50 feet deep are the chief source of water for 
domestic use. With the exception of those located in the north- 
western part of the county they yield soft waters. Deep wells have 
been drilled at Sylvester, Oakfield, Doles, Poulan, and Warwick. 

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,500 
feet or more. Waters from the Oligocene limestones are apt to be 
hard. Flowing wells may be had on the terrace plains bordering 
Flint River in the northwest. The source of the waters of such wells 
lies at depths of 500 to 1,000 feet or more and would be in the basal 
Eocene beds or the underlying Cretaceous deposits. 

LOCAL SUPPLIES. 

Sylvester (population 1,447, census of 1910). — Sylvester owns a 
water-supply system which obtains water from a well 720 feet deep, 
completed in 1908. The water rises to within 115 feet of the surface, 
and the maximum yield by pumping is estimated to be 750 gallons 
per minute, an amount more than sufficient to meet the present needs 
of the city. The elevation of the mouth of the well is about 3 feet 
lower than the level of the track at the station of the Atlantic Coast 
Line Railroad, where the altitude above sea level is 370 feet. It is 
estimated that the stratum penetrated at the bottom of this well (720 
feet) corresponds approximately to the stratum penetrated at 550 
feet in the wells at Albany. At Sylvester, therefore, it would be 
necessary to drill to a depth of 850 or 900 feet in order to reach the 
water-bearing stratum tapped at a depth of 680 feet in well No. 1 
at Albany. The water from the 680-foot stratum at Albany is only 
slightly hard and is in other respects well suited for a municipal 
supply. 

Several other wells owned by individuals at and near Sylvester 
range in depth from 100 to 250 feet and tap water-bearing cavities 
in limestones of the Chattahoochee formation. (See analyses 2 to 5, 
Table 96.) 

Poulan (population 652, census of 1910). — At Poulan the chief 
sources of water for domestic use are shallow dug wells. There are 
three deep wells in the town. 

A well owned by the Poulan Cotton Mills was originally 198 feet 
deep, but was deepened in 1908 to 409 feet, at which depth it probably 
reached the Vicksburg formation. (See analysis 1, Table 96.) 

McCallie l gives the following additional information concerning 
wells at Poulan : 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 196, 197, 1908. 



WORTH COUNTY. 467 

The first attempt to secure water at Poulan by deep borings was made by Mr. J. C. 
McPhaul in 1890. Mr. McPhaul made two or three efforts to obtain a flowing well at 
Poulan, but each time he was unsuccessful. At the time of the writer's visit, in 1897, 
Mr. McPhaul furnished the following notes on his well, then in use: The well is from 
6 to 8 inches in diameter and 315 feet deep. Water rises to within 75 feet of the surface. 
The main water-bearing stratum is reported as occurring at a point between 85 and 95 
feet from the surface, but it is cased off. The static head of the water in the well is 
said to be lowered as much as 75 feet during a long-continued drought. The water is 
used chiefly for steam purposes, 75,000 gallons being used daily. 

Mr. McPhaul has furnished the following record: 

[Log of well of J. C. McPhaul at Poulan (No. 5, Table 95).] 

Feet. 

Red clay to 15 

Yellow clay to .' 20 

White clay to 35 

Hard rock at 75 

The last extends to the bottom of the well. 
Another deep well at Poulan, on which Mr. [W. W.] Burnham has furnished data, is 
the Jordan & Simerly well, located at a sawmill half a mile west of the post office. 
This well, completed in June, 1904, at a cost of $330, is 6 inches in diameter and 220 
feet deep. Water-bearing strata are reported at 90 and 210 feet. Water rises to 
within 82 feet of the surface, or from 5 to 10 feet above the railroad track at the station. 
Sand and clay are reported in the well to 120 feet, limestone at 145 feet, and quicksand 
at 220 feet. The water is used only for boiler purposes. 

Warwick (population 226, census of 1910). — A well owned by C. P. 
Homes 1 at Warwick is 497 feet deep and yields a large supply of sul- 
phurous water. At a depth of 22 feet the drill entered a water-filled 
cavity 8 feet thick. The rocks penetrated in the well were chiefly 
limestone. 

Boles. — A well owned by J. M. Chapman at Doles 2 is 257 feet deep 
and 3 inches in diameter and yields an abundance of water, which 
rises to within 12 feet of the surface. The following is a partial log: 

Partial log of well owned by J. M. Chapman at Doles (No. 1, Table 95). 



Thick- 
ness. 



Depth. 



Clay 

Blue marl 

Limestone 

Coarse pebbles 

Limestone with shells 

Blue marl or clay 

Limestone containing corals and shells . 

Flint 

Not reported 



Feet. 
15 
81 
12 
15 
20 
50 
16 



Feet. 
15 
96 
108 
123 
143 
193 
209 
? 
257 



OaJcfield (population 276, census of 1910). — Several wells at Oak- 
field range in depth from 185 to 365 feet. Some of them flow, the 
maximum static head reported being 7 feet above the surface. A 

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 197, 1908. 2 Idem, pp. 195, 196. 



468 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

well owned by the town, completed in 1901, is 185 feet deep and con- 
tains water that rises to within 8 feet of the surface. 

Table 95. — Wells in Worth County. 



Owner. 



Driller. 



Authority. 



Date 
com- 
pleted. 



Ap- 
proxi- 
mate 
eleva- 
tion 
above 
sea 
level. 



Doles 

Oakfield 

do 

Poulan 

do , 

Poulan (J mile west 
of). 

Sylvester , 

Warwick 



J. M. Chapman. 



Feet. 



Town 

Poulan Cotton Mills. 

J. C. McPhaul 

Jordan & Simerly . . . 



Town 

C. P. Romes. 



J. C. Cock 

M. A. Jerrard. 



W. J. Hall, mayor. 

do 

P.M. Kimble 

S. W. McCallieft.. 
do 



W. W. Tison 

S. W. McCallie ft. 



1901 
1908 
1890 
1904 

1908 






355 
312 



367 



Depth. 



Diam- 
eter. 



Depth 

to 
prin- 
cipal 
water- 
bearing 
bed. 



Depth 
to 

other 
water- 
bearing 

beds. 



Level 

of 
water 
above 

or 
below 
surface. 



Yield per 
minute. 



Flow. 



Pump. 



How obtained. 



Quality. 



Feet. 
257 
365 
185 

409 

315 
220 

720 

497 



Inches. 
3 



Feet. 



185 
140-360 



130-170 
210-220 



80, 160 



S5-95 
90 



Feet. 

- 12 
+ 7 

- 8 

- 85 

- 75 

- 82 
-115 



Galls. 



Galls. 



60 



12 

100 



100+ 



Plows 

Deep well pump . 
Air-lift pump 



Air-lift pump. 



Soft. 

See analysis 1, Table 
96. 



Hard; see analyses 
2 and 3, Table 96. 
Sulphurous. 



Use. 



Principal water bed. 



Geologic horizon. 



Character. 



Remarks. 



Domestic. 



.do. 
.do. 



Domestic and 

manufacturing. 

Boiler supply 



Vicksburg forma- 
tion. 

Eocene 

Vicksburg forma- 
tion ? 

Tertiary 



Gravel. 



See log, p. 467. 



3-inch casing to 60 feet. Cost of well, 

$300; of pump, $20. 
Cost of well, $750; of machinery, $275. 



.do 



Domestic and man- 
ufacturing. 



Chattahoochee for- 
tion? 

Alum Bluff for- 
mation ? 

Eocene or Creta- 
ceous. 

Eocene 



Hard rock.. 

Sand 

Limestone . 



See log, p. 467. 
Cost of well, $3c 



8 inches in diameter at top and 2 inches 
at bottom. 



a Elevation about 20 feet above low-water level of Flint River. 
6 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 196, 197, 1908. 



WORTH COUNTY. 



469 



Table 96. — Analyses of underground waters from Worth County. 
[Parts per million.) 



No. 


Date of 
collection. 


Source. 


Location. 


Principal water- 
bearing stratum. 


Depth. 


Analyst. 


1 


May 24,1911 

Apr. 3, 1911 

Oct. ,1908 
Aug. , 1908 

do 


Well of Poulan 

Cotton Mills. 
Town well 

do 


Poulan 

Sylvester 

do 




Feet. 
140-360 

720 

720 
2*00± 

100 


Edgar Everhart. 
Do. 
Do. 


2 
3 


Eocene or Creta- 
ceous. 
do 


4 




do 


Chattahoochee for- 
mation? 
do 


Do. 


fi 


Well of Joseph 
McGrill? 


do 


Do. 



























<c 


<c 


<B 


0) 




xs 




















o 




















si. 










-a 


S 




o 




> 






O 

s 


"a? 


< 

s 

3 

a 

"a 

3 


'3' 
o 

a 


a 


I 

3 


g 

I 

3 


C3 

<x>0 

"SB 

o 


03 


T3 
c3"~^ 


03^ 


5 

.a 


o . 

SI 


Remarks. 


d 


_o 


a 
o 


o 


03 


•o 


o 


,Q 


S3 
O 


ft 




o 

3 


o 




'A 


02 


*— t 


-< 


O 


y 


02 


P4 


o 


w 


CO 


& 


O 


H 




1 


22 


0.4 




52 


10 


8 





Tr. 


224 


6.0 


0.4 


5.0 


213 


Well 4, Table 95. 


2 


15 


.4 




54 


7.0 


6.0 


0.0 


195 


2.0 


.2 


7.0 




Well 7, Table 95. 


3 


15 


.4 


0.5 


54 


7.2 


4.5 


3.0 




195 


2.3 




7.0 


191 


Free carbon dioxide (CO a ), 
2. Phosphate radicle 
(POO, trace. Well 7, 
Table 95. 


4 


21 


.1 


.2 


51 


7.3 


12 


2.5 




198 


.7 




7.0 


204 




5 


26 


.4 


.5 


54 


7.2 


24 


7.0 


.0 


209 


2.0 


.0 


35 


261 


Free carbon dioxide (C0 2 ), 
4. Phosphate radicle 
(P0 4 ), 1.6. 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS OF THE COASTAL 
PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



By R. B. Dole. 



STANDARDS FOR CLASSIFICATION. 

MINERAL CONSTITUENTS OF WATER. 

All natural waters contain dissolved or suspended materials derived 
from substances with which they have come into contact. They take 
up such materials in amounts determined principally by the chemical 
composition and physical structure of the substances, by the temper- 
ature, pressure, and duration of their contact, and by the condition of 
substances that they have previously incorporated. To designate 
such suspended and dissolved materials "impurities" is scarcely cor- 
rect, because they have been introduced normally, in strict accordance 
with natural conditions and not necessarily by human agency. It 
has become customary, however, to call them impurities if their 
presence is detrimental to some proposed use of a water supply. 

For purposes of examination the substances that may be present 
in natural waters are classified as suspended matter, such as particles 
of clay or leaves; dissolved matter, either of mineral or organic 
origin; microscopic animals or plants; and bacteria. The presence of 
very small animals and plants likely to affect the quality of waters 
is determined by microscopic examination, and the chance of con- 
tracting disease by drinking the water is ascertained by bacteriologic 
processes. 

In the present study consideration is given chiefly to the suspended 
and dissolved mineral matter. The amount and nature of this are 
most commonly determined by estimating the total suspended 
matter, total dissolved matter, total hardness, total alkalinity, silica, 
iron, aluminum, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, carbonates, 
bicarbonates, sulphates, nitrates, chlorides, free carbonic acid, and 
free hydrogen sulphide, these being the materials most commonly 
present and most likely to affect the value of the waters. Estimates 
of all of them are not necessary, however, in computing the economic 
value of a supply for a particular purpose, as will be shown in a dis- 
cussion of the various practical uses of water. 
470 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 471 

USES OF WATER. 

In judging the value of a water from its analysis it is necessary to 
consider the supply both in relation to its intended use and to other 
available supplies. Besides its general domestic use, water is essential 
in steam making, paper making, starch manufacture, and many 
other industrial processes. Many waters are valued for the sup- 
posed medicinal properties of their dissolved minerals. Much water 
is used for irrigation, both in the West and to some degree in the 
South, in the latter especially in rice growing. For each of these 
purposes the relative amounts of certain ingredients in a water deter- 
mine its value and assist in its classification. For example, consider- 
able iron in a water may be harmful in one industrial process and 
harmless in another. The value of a water for another purpose may 
be directly measurable by its suspended matter, its dissolved matter 
not being significant. Furthermore, many waters that are con- 
sidered of great medicinal value are unfit for boiler use. 

To catalogue waters as good or bad, hard or soft, pure or impure, 
is indefinite and may be misleading, unless the arithmetical values of 
such terms are rigidly defined. And even when the descriptive 
words in a classification are rigidly defined and carefully applied, it 
is highly advisable to know the intended use of a water and the 
composition of other available supplies before pronouncing final 
judgment as to its suitability. 

WATER FOR BOILER USE. 
FORMATION OF SCALE. 

The most common trouble in boilers is the formation of scale or 
deposition of mineral matter within the boiler shell. When water 
is heated under pressure and concentrated by evaporation, as in a 
boiler, certain substances are thrown out of solution and solidify on 
the flues and crown sheets or within the tubes. These deposits in- 
crease fuel consumption because they are poor conductors of heat, 
and increase the cost of boiler repairs and attendance because they 
have to be removed. If the amount of scale is great or if it is allowed 
to accumulate, the boiler capacity is decreased and disastrous explo- 
sions are likely to take place. 

The incrustation (scale) consists of the substances that are insoluble 
in the feed water or become so within the boiler under conditions of 
ordinary operation. It includes practically all the suspended matter 
or mud ; the silica, probably precipitated as the oxide (Si0 2 ) ; the 
iron and aluminum, appearing in the scale as oxides or hydrated 
oxides; the calcium, precipitated principally as carbonate and sul- 
phate; and the magnesium, found chiefly as oxide but also partly as 
carbonate. Scale is therefore a mixture which varies in amount, 



472 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN" OF GEORGIA. 

density, hardness, and composition with the quality of the water 
supply, the steam pressure, the type of boiler, and other conditions of 
use. Calcium and magnesium are the principal basic substances in 
the scale, over 90 per cent of which usually is calcium, magnesium, 
carbonate, and sulphate. If much organic matter is present part 
of it is precipitated with the mineral scale, as the organic matter is 
decomposed by heat or by reaction with other substances. If mag- 
nesium and sulphate are comparatively low, or if suspended matter 
is comparatively high, the scale is soft and bulky and may be in the 
form of sludge that can be blown or washed from the boiler. On the 
other hand, a clear water relatively high in magnesium and sulphate 
may produce a hard compact scale that is nearly as dense as porcelain, 
clings to the tubes, and offers great resistance to the transmission of 
heat. Therefore the value of a water for boiler use depends not only 
on the quantity but also on the physical structure of the scale pro- 
duced by it. 

CORROSION. 

Corrosion or "pitting" is caused chiefly by the solvent action of 
acids on the iron of the boiler. Free acids capable of dissolving iron 
occur in some natural waters, especially in the drainage from coal 
mines, which usually contains free sulphuric acid, and also in some 
factory wastes draining into streams. Many ground waters contain 
free hydrogen sulphide, a gas that readily attacks boilers, and some 
contain dissolved oxygen and free carbon dioxide, which are also cor- 
rosive. Organic matter is probably a source of acids, for waters high 
in organic matter and low in calcium and magnesium are corrosive, 
though the nature and the action of the organic bodies are not well 
understood. The chief corrosives are acids freed in the boiler by the 
deposition of hydrates of iron, aluminum, and magnesium, the last 
named being the most important as it is the most abundant. The 
acid radicles that were in equilibrium with these bases may pass into 
equilibrium with other bases, displacing equivalent quantities of car- 
bonates and bicarbonates; they may decompose carbonates that have 
been precipitated as scale; they may combine with the iron of the 
boiler, thus causing corrosion ; or they may do all three, their action 
depending on the chemical composition of the water. Even with 
the most complete analysis this action can be predicted only as a 
probability. If the acid thus freed exceeds the amount required to 
decompose the carbonates and bicarbonates, it attacks the iron of 
the boiler and produces pits or tuberculations of the interior surface, 
leaks, particularly around rivets, and general deterioration. 



CHEMICAL CHAEACTER OP WATERS 473 

FOAMING. 

Foaming is the formation of masses of bubbles on the surface of 
the water in the boiler and in the steam space above the water, and 
it is intimately connected with priming, which is the passage from 
the boiler of water mixed with steam. Foaming results when any- 
thing prevents the free escape of steam from the water. It is usually 
ascribed to an excess of dissolved matter that increases the surface 
tension of the liquid and thereby reduces the readiness with winch 
the steam bubbles break. As sodium and potassium remain dis- 
solved in the boiler water, while the greater portion of the other 
bases is precipitated, the foaming tendency is commonly measured 
by the degree of concentration of the alkaline salts in solution, 
because this figure, in connection with the type of boiler, determines 
to a great extent the length of time that a boiler may run without 
danger of foaming. It is a fact that the worst foaming waters in 
railroad practice are encountered in the arid and semiarid regions 
of the Southwest, where the quantity of dissolved alkali is greatest. 
However, it is well known that suspended matter can cause foaming, 
for certain surface waters that deposit a moderate amount of scale but 
do not foam when clear foam badly when they carry a great quantity 
of mud. Greth * states that foaming is due to condition of boiler, 
design of boiler, size and shape of water space, steam pipe, irregu- 
larity in blowing off, introduction of oil into the feed water from the 
exhaust steam, neglect to change water periodically, irregularity of 
load, or improper firing and feeding. He concludes that it is not 
merely the presence of sodium salts in solution that causes foaming, 
but the presence of other substances which together with the sodium 
salts and operating conditions brings about foaming. A strong solu- 
tion of sodium carbonate might not induce excessive foaming in 
water otherwise pure, but its introduction into a boiler which under 
operating conditions invariably contains suspended matter or pre- 
cipitated sludge might produce foaming by increasing the suspended 
matter either by precipitating calcium and magnesium or by loosen- 
ing previously deposited scale. Under working conditions it is diffi- 
cult to distinguish the actual cause of the trouble. Experience has 
shown that the type of boiler, steam pressure, and other .operating 
conditions may greatly accelerate or retard foaming. 

REMEDIES FOR BOILER TROUBLES. 

The best way of remedying unsatisfactory boiler supplies is to 
treat them before they enter the boiler, but where this is imprac- 
ticable trouble can be minimized in various ways. Low-pressure 

i Greth, J. C. W., Water softening and purification for coal-mine operations: Paper read before the West 
Virginia Coal Mining Institute, Bluefield, W. Va., June 7, 1910. 



474 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

large-flue boilers are used in many stationary plants with hard 
waters, and it is said that the scale formed in them is softer and 
more flocculent and can therefore be more readily removed than 
that formed in high-pressure boilers. Blowing off is about the only 
practical means of preventing foaming, because this trouble is due 
principally to concentration of substances in the residual water of 
the boilers. Accumulated sludge, or soft scale, is removed by blow- 
ing, particularly in locomotive practice. In condensing systems 
much of the trouble due to mineral matter in the feed water is obvi- 
ated because the quantity of raw water supplied is proportionately 
small. Yet the problem is not completely solved in such systems, 
because the incrusting or corrosive action is transferred from the 
boiler to the condenser, which requires more or less cleaning and 
repairing in proportion to the undesirable qualities of the water 
supply. 

BOILER COMPOUNDS. 

Boiler compounds are widely used in regions where hard waters 
abound, but treatment within the boiler should be given only when 
it is impossible to purify the supply beforehand, or when the supply 
is relatively pure and requires only minor correction. If previous 
purification is not practicable, some feed waters can be improved 
by judicious addition of chemicals. Many substances, ranging from 
flour, oatmeal, and sliced potatoes to barium and chromium salts, 
have been recommended for such use, but only a few have proved 
to be really efficient. These substances have been classified 1 ac- 
cording to their action within the boiler. Those that attack chem- 
ically the scaling and corroding constituents precipitate incrusting 
matter and neutralize acids. Soda ash, the commercial form of 
sodium carbonate, containing about 95 per cent Na 2 C0 3 , is the most 
valuable substance of this character, because it is cheap and its 
use is attended with the least objectionable results. Tannin and 
tannin compounds are also used for the same purpose. The addi- 
tion of limewater to the feed to prevent corrosion and to obviate 
foaming has been recommended, 2 and it is probable that it would 
improve waters high in organic matter and very low in incrustants. 
Such practice increases the incrustants in proportion to lime added 
but prevents corrosion. Soda ash neutralizes free acids, precipitates 
the incrusting ingredients as a softer, more flocculent material, 
which is more easily removed from the boiler and increases the foam- 
ing tendency of the water by increasing its content of dissolved 
matter. The proper amount to be used depends on the chemical 
composition of the water and the style of the boiler. 

1 Cary, A. A., The use of boiler compounds: Am. Machinist, vol. 22, pt. 2, p. 1153, 1899. 

2 Palmer, Chase, Quality of the underground waters in the Blue Grass region of Kentucky: U. S. Geol. 
Survey Water-Supply Paper 233, p. 187, 1909. 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 475 

The second class of boiler compounds comprises those that act 
mechanically on the precipitated crystals of scale-making matter 
soon after they are formed, surrounding them and robbing them of 
their cement-like action. Glutinous, starchy, and oily substances 
belong to this class, but they are not now used to any considerable 
extent because they thicken and foul the water more than they 
prevent the formation of hard scale. 

The third class comprises compounds that act mechanically, like 
those of the second class, and also partly dissolve deposited scale, 
thus loosening it and aiding in its ready removal. Of these, kero- 
sene is very effective, but graphite is believed to be still better. 

Many boiler compounds possessing or supposed to possess one or 
more of the functions just described are on the market and are 
widely sold. Some are effective and some are positively injurious. 
Most of them depend for their chief action on soda ash, petroleum, 
or a vegetable extract, but all are costly compared with lime and 
soda ash. Boiler compounds can not reduce the amount of scale 
and may increase it. Their only legitimate functions are to prevent 
corrosion and deposition of hard scale and to remove accumulations 
of scale that have become attached to the boiler. Every engineer 
should bear in mind that steam boilers are costly and that fuel 
and boiler repairs are expensive, and should hesitate to add sub- 
stances to his feed water without competent advice as to their effect. 
It is far more economical to have the water supply analyzed and to 
treat it effectively by well-known chemicals in proper proportion, 
either within or without the boiler, than to experiment with com- 
pounds of unknown composition. 

NUMERICAL STANDARDS. 

The value of natural waters for boiler use depends primarily on 
their corroding and foaming tendencies and on the amount and 
character of scale likely to be deposited by them. This value, how- 
ever, should always be considered in connection with local standards, 
for no matter how low a water may be in undesirable constituents it 
can not be classed as good if it is poorer in quality than the average 
water of the region in which it occurs. On the other hand, if the 
best available supply is poor the economy of purifying it, even at 
large expense, is obvious. Along the Atlantic coast, where waters 
containing less than 100 parts per million of incrusting ingredients 
are extremely common, a supply carrying 200 parts of such substances 
would not be considered fair for boiler use. Throughout most of the 
Mississippi Valley, however, such a supply would be considered good, 
because in that region natural waters not exceeding 100 parts in 
scale- forming constituents are rare. Because of this variance in local 
conditions, numerical standards should be interpreted relatively and 



476 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

not literally. At the same time any classification by nominal ratings 
must be applied absolutely if the terms are to have comparative 
significance outside the region where the waters exist. 

Stabler's excellent mathematical discussion of the quality of waters 
with reference to industrial uses 1 contains several formulas by which 
the effect of waters may be computed, and his formulas, quoted 
here in slightly altered form, have been used in classifying tne waters 
discussed in the present report. The terms involving iron, alumi- 
num, and free acids have been omitted because these substances are 
too scarce in most Georgia waters to call for consideration in such 
approximate ratings; and the terms involving sodium and potas- 
sium have been united for simplicity. 

(1) s =Sm+Cni-f-2.95 Ca+1.66 Mg. 

(2) h=Si0 2 +1.66 Mg+1.92 Cl+1.42 S0 4 -2.95 Na. 

(3) f=2.7Na. 

(4) c=0.0821 Mg-0.0333 CO 3 -0.0164 HC0 3 . 

These equations express numerically some of the relations that 
have been discussed hi the preceding sections on scale, corrosion, and 
foaming. Sm, Cm, Si0 2 , Ca, Mg, Na, CI, S0 4 , C0 3 , and HC0 3 repre- 
sent the amounts in parts per million, respectively, of suspended 
matter, colloidal matter (oxides of silicon, iron, and aluminum), 
silica, calcium, magnesium, alkalies, chlorine, sulphate, carbonate, 
and bicarbonate. It is uncertain in some waters whether iron and 
aluminum are in solution or in colloidal state, but in applying these 
formulas to Georgia ground waters little error is introduced by as- 
suming that they are colloidal. 

The first formula gives the amount of scale-forming ingredients (s) 
that would probably be formed from the water under ordinary con- 
ditions of boiler operation. If it is desired to compute the scale- 
forming ingredients of waters whose analyses in this report give no 
values for silica, iron, or aluminum, Cm may be taken as 20 without 
introducing great error. In clear waters suspended matter (Sm) 
would of course be zero; and consequently for most Georgia ground 
waters the amount of scale may be estimated practically from the 
figures representing silica, calcium, and magnesium. Suspended 
matter can not, however, be disregarded in estimating the scale- 
forming ingredients of unsettled surface waters, for it frequently is 
greater than the dissolved matter. 

The second formula gives the amount of the hard scale forming 

h 
mgredients (h). The ratio - expresses the relative hardness of the 

scale. If — is greater than 0.5 the scale may properly be called hard; 
if it is less than 0.25 the scale may properly be called soft. 

i Eng. News, vol. 60, p. 355, 1908; U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 274, p. 165, 1911. 



CHEMICAL CHAEACTER OF WATERS. 



477 



The third formula gives the amount of the foaming ingredients (f) 
as estimated from the probable content of alkali salts. 

The fourth formula has been used to calculate the corrosive tend- 
ency of the water (c). As can be readily seen from the coefficients, 
it expresses the relation between the reacting values of magnesium 
and the radicles involving carbonic acid (p. 472). If c is positive, the 
skater is corrosive. If c + 0.0499Ca (the reacting value of calcium) is 
negative, the mineral constituents will not cause corrosion; but 
whether organic matter or electrolysis will cause it is uncertain. If 
c + 0.0499Ca is positive, corrosion is uncertain. 

After these three attributes of boiler feed have been computed 
rating the water is largely a matter of judgment based on experience. 
The committee on water service of the American Railway Engineering 
and Maintenance of Way Association has offered two classifications by 
which waters in their raw state may be approximately rated; but, as 
the report states, "it is difficult to define by analysis sharply the line 
between good and bad water for steam-making purposes. 7 ' Table 97 
gives these classifications with the amounts transformed to parts per 
million. 



Table 97. 



-Ratings of waters for boiler use according to proportions of incrusting and 
corroding constituents and according to foaming constituents. 



Incrusting and corrod- 
ing con stituents 
(parts per million). 


Classifica- 
tion.o 


Foaming constituents 
(parts per million). 


Classifica- 
tion. b 


More 
than— 


Not more 

than— 


More 
than— 


Not more 
than— 




90 
200 
430 
680 


Good. 

Fair. 
Poor. 
Bad. 




150 
250 
400 


Good. 
Fair. 
Bad. 
Very bad. 


90 
200 
430 


150 
250 
400 





a Proc. Am. Ry. Eng. and Maintenance of Way Assoc, vol. 5, p. 595, 1904. 
b Idem, vol. 9, p. 134, 1908. 

The classification by incrusting and corroding constituents has been 
applied to the computations of scale-forming ingredients (s) in the 
analytical tables accompanying this report. (See Tables 107-118, pp. 
509-527.) The quantity of foaming ingredients (f) should always be 
considered in conjunction with the probable amount of scale or sludge 
that would be formed, the hardness of thescale, and the tendency toward 
corrosion. Those who are thoroughly familiar with local conditions 
in Georgia and with the chemistry of water will doubtless prefer to 
disregard the descriptive terms of the classification and draw their 
own conclusions regarding the quality of the waters from the figures 
representing scale, foaming constituents, and probability of corrosion. 
The classifications are given principally for the aid of those not thor- 
oughly familiar with such matters and rather to indicate the limits 
of usefulness than to define rigidly the value of the waters. 



478 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Waters of poor quality can be improved by treatment in softening 
plants. How bad a water may be used without treatment depends 
on the cost of artificially softening the water and the relative saving 
effected by the use of the softened water. A report 1 of the commit- 
tee on water service of the American Railway Engineering and Main- 
tenance of Way Association sets forth the factors involved. The 
benefits include the saving in boiler cleaning, repairs, and fuel, the 
decrease in the time during which the boilers must be withdrawn from 
service for cleaning and repairs, the decrease in the depreciation of 
the boilers, and the value of the materials removed by softening. The 
cost of softening includes the cost of labor and power for the softening 
apparatus, the cost of softening chemicals, the interest on the cost of 
installation, depreciation in the value of the softening plant, and the 
waste in changing boiler feed due to increased foaming tendency. 

In locomotive service it is, in general, economical to treat waters 
containing 250 to 850 parts per million of incrustants and to treat 
those containing less than 250 parts if the scale formed contains much 
sulphate. 2 As the incrusting solids may commonly be reduced to 
80 or 90 parts per million, the economy of treating boiler waters de- 
serves consideration in a region where many supplies contain 300 to 
500 parts per million of incrusting matter. 

The amount of mineral matter that makes a water unfit for boiler 
use depends on the combined effect in boilers of the softening reagents 
used with such waters and of the constituents not removed by soften- 
ing. Sodium salts added to remove incrustants or to prevent corro- 
sion increase the foaming tendency, and this increase may be great 
enough to render a water useless for steaming. It is not of much 
benefit to soften water containing more than 850 parts per million of 
nonincrusting material and much incrusting sulphate. 2 Trouble 
from priming in locomotive boilers begins at a concentration of about 
1,700 parts per million of foaming constituents, and the limit of 
safety for stationary boilers is reached at a concentration of about 
7,000 parts. Though waters containing as high as 1,700 parts per 
million of foaming constituents have been used, it is usually more 
economical to incur considerable expense in replacing such supplies by 
better ones. 

WATER FOR MISCELLANEOUS INDUSTRIAL USES. 
GENERAL REQUISITES. 

Many articles are affected by the ingredients of the water used in 
their manufacture and can be improved by its purification. If by the 
same process the boiler efficiency of the factory can be increased the 

1 Proc. Am. Ry. Eng. and Maintenance of Way Assoc, vol. 8, p. 601, 1907. 

2 Idem, vol. 6, p. 610, 1905. 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 479 

expense is often justified when it would not be warranted merely by 
the increased value of the product. This observation applies par- 
ticularly to paper, pulp, and strawboard mills, laundries, and other 
establishments where large quantities of water are evaporated to 
furnish steam for drying, and to ice factories and similar plants where 
distilled water is required. 

Besides its use for steam making water plays a specific part in 
many manufacturing processes. In paper mills, strawboard mills, 
bleacheries, dye works, canning factories, pickle factories, creameries, 
slaughterhouses, packing houses, nitroglycerin factories, distilleries, 
breweries, woolen mills, starch works, sugar works, canneries, glue 
factories, soap factories, and chemical works water becomes a part of 
the product or is essential to its manufacture. In most of these estab- 
lishments the water is used principally as a cleansing agent or as a 
vehicle for other substances, and therefore a supply that is free from 
color, odor, suspended matter, microscopic organisms, and especially 
from bacteria of fecal origin, and fairly low in dissolved substances, 
especially iron, is generally satisfactory. But water that is also hy- 
gienically acceptable is necessary where it comes into contact with or 
forms part of food materials, as in the making of beverages, sugar, 
and dairy or meat products. As ideal waters for any use are rare, the 
manufacturer must ascertain what degree of freedom from substances 
is necessary to prevent injury to his machinery or to his output and 
whether the cost of obtaining such purity is counterbalanced by 
decreased cost of production and increased value of product. Com- 
petitive business methods and increased facilities of transportation 
have standardized the values of manufactured articles so thoroughly 
that makers are now obliged to scrutinize every item of production 
cost in order to obtain reasonable profits. Any appreciable saving 
effected by improvement of the water supply is one of the easiest 
sources of profit for the manufacturer. 

EFFECTS OF DISSOLVED AND SUSPENDED MATERIALS. 

The effects in some industries of the substances most commonly 
found in water are outlined in the following pages, the object being 
to offer approximate standards for classification. 

FREE ACIDS. 

Free mineral acids, such as the sulphuric acid in drainage from coal 
mines or the hydrochloric acid in the effluents of some industrial 
establishments, are especially injurious and nearly always have to be 
neutralized before the waters containing them can be used indus- 
trially. In paper mills, cotton mills, bleacheries, and dye works 
waters containing a measurable amount of free mineral acid decom- 



480 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

pose chemicals, streak and rot fabrics, and corrode and rapidly 
destroy metal screens, strainers, and pipes. 



SUSPENDED MATTER. 



Suspended matter in surface waters may be of vegetable, mineral, 
or animal origin, as it consists of particles of sewage, bits of leaves, 
sticks, and sawdust, and sand and clay. The fine silt so common 
in rivers of the South is largely derived from clay. Few well waters 
contain suspended animal or vegetable matter, but many carry finely 
divided sand and clay, and many become turbid by precipitation 
of dissolved ingredients. Suspended matter is objectionable in all 
processes in which water is used for washing or comes into contact 
with food materials, because it is likely to stain or spot the product. 
Suspended matter due to precipitated iron is especially injurious 
even in small amount. Suspended vegetable or animal matter liable 
to decomposition or to partial solution is much more objectionable, 
even in small amounts (10 to 20 parts per million), than equal quan- 
tities of mineral matter. For these reasons water should be freed from 
suspended matter before being used for laundering, bleaching, wool 
scouring, paper making, dyeing, starch making, sugar making, brew- 
ing, distilling, and similar processes. In making the coarser grades of 
paper, such as strawboard, a small amount of suspended matter is 
not especially injurious, but for the finer white and colored varieties 
clear water is essential. 

COLOR. 

Color in water is due principally to solution of vegetable matter. 
Materials bleached, washed, or dyed light shades in colored water 
are likely to become tinged. Highly colored waters can be used 
in making wrapping or dark-tinted papers but not in making the 
white grades, and paper manufacturers are put to great expense for 
water purification on that account. The lower waters are in color, 
therefore, the more desirable they are for use in bleacheries, dye 
works, paper mills, and other factories where brown tints in the 
products are undesirable. 

IRON. 

Iron is the most undesirable dissolved constituent, and its presence 
in comparatively small quantities necessitates purification. Many 
ground waters in Georgia contain 1 to 20 parts per million of iron, 
which may be precipitated by exposure to the air and by release of 
hydrostatic pressure, causing the waters to become turbid; and many 
such waters develop rusty-looking gelatinous growths that may 
interfere in industrial operations. In all cleansing processes, espe- 
cially if soap or alkali is used, precipitated iron is likely to cause 
rusty or dull spots. In contact With, materials containing tannin 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 481 

compounds iron forms greenish or black substances that discolor the 
product. Therefore many waters containing amounts even as small 
as 1 or 2 parts per million of iron have to be purified before they can 
be used industrially. In water for dye works iron is especially 
objectionable and commonly prevents the use of the water Without 
purification. 1 Iron in the water supply of paper mills may be pre- 
cipitated on the pulp, giving a brown color, or during sizing or tinting, 
giving spotty effects. Water containing much iron can not be used 
in bleaching fabrics, because salts that spot the goods are formed. 
The dark-colored compounds that iron forms with tannin discolor 
hides in tanning and barley in malting, and give beer a bad color, 
odor, and taste. 2 

CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM. 

Calcium and magnesium are similar in their industrial effects. In 
water their amounts bear a more or less definite relation to each 
other, most waters carrying 10 to 50 per cent as much magnesium 
as calcium. Both are precipitated on whatever is boiled in water 
containing them, forming a deposit that may interfere with later op- 
erations. They also decompose equivalent amounts of many chem- 
icals employed in technical operations, causing waste and forming 
alkaline-earth compounds that interfere with the later treatment of 
fabrics. These troubles are the strongest incentives to preliminary 
softening. Some of the chemicals used to disintegrate the fibers in 
making pulp are consumed by the calcium and magnesium in the 
water supply, though the loss from this source is not nearly so great 
as that which occurs later when the resin soap used in sizing the paper 
is decomposed by the calcium and magnesium. The insoluble soaps 
thus created do not fix themselves on the fibers, but form clots and 
streaks. Similar decomposition of valuable cleansing materials and 
subsequent deposition of insoluble compounds take place in launder- 
ing, wool scouring, and similar processes. In the manufacture of 
soap calcium and magnesium form with the fatty acids curdy pre- 
cipitates that are insoluble in water and therefore have no cleansing 
value. They interfere with many dyeing operations, neutralizing 
chemicals and changing the reactions of the baths, besides forming 
insoluble compounds with many dyes. Highly calcareous waters 
can not be used for boiling the grain in distilleries because they hinder 
proper action by causing the deposition of alkaline-earth salts on 
the particles of grain, nor for diluting spirits because they cause 
turbidity. 3 Very soft water, on the other hand, is said to be unde- 
sirable in paper mills for loading papers with any form of calcium 

1 Sadtler, S. P., A handbook of industrial organic chemistry, Philadelphia, p. 4S3, 1900, 
=De la Coux, M. A. J., L'eau dans l'industrie, Paris, pp. 187, 232, 1900. 
3 Idem, p. 251. 

38418"— wsp 341—15—31 



482 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 

sulphate, because such waters dissolve part of the loading materials. 1 
Probably waters high in chlorides would also be bad for this purpose, 
because chlorides increase the solubility of calcium sulphate. 

CARBONATES. 

The effects of carbonates and bicarbonates in waters used in 
industrial processes are not differentiated in this paragraph. It is 
not unusual to estimate the combined carbonic acid and to state it 
as the carbonate without distinguishing between carbonates and 
bicarbonates, though in most natural waters of Georgia the carbonate 
radicle is absent and the combined carbonic acid is in the form of 
bicarbonates. If hard waters proportionately high in carbonates 
and low in sulphates are boiled, the bicarbonate radicle is decom- 
posed, free carbonic acid is given off, and the greater part of the cal- 
cium and magnesium is precipitated. Consequently waters of that 
character are generally more desirable for industrial operations than 
waters high in sulphates and low in carbonates, whose hardening 
constituents are not greatly reduced by boiling. In beer making 
waters high in carbonates are said to produce dark-colored beers 
with a pronounced malt flavor because the carbonates increase the 
solubility of the nitrogenous bodies, whereas waters high in sulphates 
yield pale beers with a definite hop flavor because the sulphates 
reduce the solubility of the malt and the coloring matters. 2 

SULPHATES. 

The influence of sulphates in beer making has been noted. Hard 
waters with sulphates predominating are desirable in tanning heavy 
hides because they swell the skins, exposing more surface for the action 
of the tan liquors. 3 Sulphates, however, interfere with crystal- 
lization in sugar making by increasing the amount of sugar retained 
in the mother liquor. 

CHLORIDES. 

High chlorides are usually accompanied by high alkalies in Georgia 
waters. Appreciable amounts of chlorides are injurious in many 
industrial processes. Beverages and food products, of course, can 
not be treated with waters very high in chlorides without becoming 
salty. In tanning, chlorides cause the hides to become thin and 
flabby. 3 Animal charcoal used in clarifying sugar is robbed of its 
bleaching power by absorption of salt, and the quality of sugars is 
affected by chloride-bearing waters because saline salts are incorpo- 

1 Cross, C F., and Bevan, E. J., A textbook of paper making, New York, p. 294, 1900. 

2 Brewing water, its defects and remedies, American Burtonizing Co., New York, p. 19, 1909. Also De 
la Coux, op. cit., p. 169. 

3 Parker, H. N., and others, The Potomac River basin: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 192, 
p. 194, 1907. 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OP WATERS. 483 

rated in the crystals. 1 In the preparation of alcoholic beverages 
chlorides in large amount prevent the growth of the yeast and inter- 
fere with the germination of the grain. The only commercially de- 
veloped way of removing chlorides from water is distillation. As 
the cost of this process has been greatly reduced by the use of multiple- 
effect evaporators, it is worth considering where chloride-bearing 
waters must be used. 

ORGANIC MATTER. 

Organic matter of fecal origin is of course dangerous in any water 
that comes into contact with food products, and water so polluted 
should be purified before being used. Care in this respect is particu- 
larly necessary in creameries, slaughterhouses, canneries, pickle fac- 
tories, distilleries, breweries, and sugar factories. Organic matter 
not necessarily capable of producing disease is further undesirable in 
industrial supplies because it induces decomposition in other organic 
materials like cloth, yarn, sugar, starch, meat, or paper, rotting and 
discoloring them, and because it causes slime spots on fabrics by 
supporting algas growths. 

HYDROGEN SULPHIDE. 

Hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S), a gas with an odor like that of rotten 
eggs, occurs dissolved in some underground waters and gives them 
what is known as a "sulphurous" taste and odor. It is corrosive 
even in small quantities, and it also injures materials by discoloring 
and rotting them. 

MISCELLANEOUS SUBSTANCES. 

Silica and aluminum are usually not present in sufficient quantity 
appreciably to affect any industrial processes except those in which 
water is evaporated. Large quantities of sodium and potassium, by 
adding to the amount of dissolved matter, are objectionable in some 
manufacturing operations. Phosphates, nitrates, and some other 
substances not noted in this outline interfere with industrial chemical 
reactions, but they are present in few natural waters in sufficient 
quantity to have noticeable effect. 

WATER FOR DOMESTIC USE. 
PHYSICAL QUALITIES. 

Entirely acceptable domestic supplies are free from suspended 
matter, color, odor, and taste and are fairly cool when they reach the 
consumer. The more nearly waters fulfill these conditions the more 
satisfactory they are for general use. Suspended mineral matter 
clogs pipes, valves, and faucets, and growths of microscopic plants 

J DelaCoux, M. A. J.,op. cit., p. 152. 



484 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

suspended in water frequently cause odors and stains. The outlets 
of some artesian wells are surrounded by growths of microscopic 
organisms, which form tufts or layers in pipes and well casings and 
sometimes clog them. Detached particles escape through faucets, 
giving the water an unsightly appearance and staining clothes washed 
in it. So far as known such growths in tanks and mains do not cause 
disease, but they often impart unpleasant odors that make the water 
objectionable. True color is usually due to dissolved vegetable 
matter, and causes serious objection only when it exceeds 20 to 30 
parts per million. 

In general, Georgia well waters are satisfactory in respect to sus- 
pended mineral matter and color. Finely divided material from 
quicksands enters some driven wells, but such trouble is not so serious 
as it is in other parts of the country. A few waters, especially those 
containing iron, develop a turbidity of 10 to 30 parts per million on 
exposure to the air by precipitating dissolved matter, and such con- 
dition gives rise to apparent though not to real color. The odor most 
commonly noticed in the ground waters of Georgia is that of hydrogen 
sulphide. 

BACTERIOLOGIC QUALITIES. 

Before a water is used for domestic purposes there should be reason- 
able certainty that it is free from disease-bearing organisms and that 
it can be guarded against all chances of infection. The disease germs 
most commonly carried by water are those of typhoid fever. The 
bacilli enter the supply from some spot infected by the discharges of 
a person sick with this disease, and though comparatively short lived 
in water they persist and retain their power of infection in fecal 
deposits for remarkable lengths of time. Consequently, water from 
lakes and streams draining from pollution centers or from irrigated 
fields should not be used for drinking without purification. Wells 
should be so located as to be guarded against the entrance of filth of 
any kind, either over the top or by infiltration. Pumps and piping 
in the system should also be protected. Water from a carefully cased 
well more than 20 or 30 feet deep is acceptable if the well is located 
at a reasonable distance from privies, cesspools, and other sources of 
pollution. Many open dug wells and pits constructed as reservoirs 
around the tops of casings are exposed to fecal contamination from 
above or through cracks in poorly built side walls. Care should be 
taken that the casings of deep wells do not become leaky near the 
surface of the ground so as to allow pollution to enter. As a matter 
of ordinary precaution the ground should be kept clean and water 
should not be allowed to become foul or stagnant near any well, no 
matter how deep. If shallow dug wells are necessary, they should 
be constructed with water-tight walls extending as far as practicable 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 485 

into the well and also a short distance above ground. The floor or 
curbing should be water-tight, and pumps should be used in preference 
to buckets for raising the water. Every possible precaution should 
be taken to prevent feet scrapings and similar dirt from getting into 
the well. Underground water is not only less likely to become con- 
taminated when protected from surface washings, air, and light, but 
it keeps better and is less likely to develop microscopic plants that 
give it an unpleasant taste. 

CHEMICAL QUALITIES. 

The amounts of dissolved substances permissible in a domestic 
supply depend much on their nature. No more than traces of 
barium, copper, zinc, or lead should be present, because these sub- 
stances are poisonous; however, their occurrence in measurable 
amounts in ordinary waters is so rare that tests for them are not 
usually made. Any coiistituent present in sufficient amount to be 
clearly perceptible to the taste is objectionable. Water containing 
two parts per million of iron is unpalatable to many people and may 
cause trouble by discoloring washbowls and tubs and by producing 
rusty stains on clothes. Tea and coffee can not be made satisfactorily 
with water containing much iron because a black inky compound is 
formed. Four or five parts of hydrogen sulphide make a water 
unpleasant to the taste, and this gas is objectionable also because it 
corrodes well strainers and other metal fittings. The amounts of 
silica and aluminum ordinarily present in well waters have no special 
significance in relation to domestic supply. 

Approximately 250 parts of chlorine make a water "salty," and 
less than that amount causes corrosion. In regions where the 
chlorine content runs as low as 5 or 10 parts in normal waters unaf- 
fected by animal pollution the amount of chlorine is frequently taken 
as a measure of contamination. But the establishment of isochlors, 
or lines of equal chlorine, in Georgia would be of little sanitary value, 
because many of the waters dissolve so much chloride from the sedi- 
mentary deposits of the Coastal Plain that the small changes caused 
by animal pollution are not discernible. 

Calcium and magnesium are the chief causes of what is known as 
the hardness of water. This undesirable quality is indicated by 
increased soap consumption and by deposition on kettles of scale 
composed almost entirely of calcium, magnesium, carbonates, and 
sulphates. Calcium and magnesium, forming with soap insoluble 
curdy compounds that have no cleansing value, prevent the formation 
of a lather until these two basic radicles have been precipitated. 
Hardness is measured by the soap-consuming capacity of a water 
expressed as an equivalent of calcium carbonate (CaC0 3 ), and it can 
be determined by actual testing with a standard solution of soap or 



486 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

can be computed from the amounts of calcium (Ca) and magnesium 
(Mg) by means of the following formula: 

Total hardness as CaC0 3 = 2.5 Ca + 4.1 Mg. 

Soda ash (sodium carbonate) is used in many regions to "break" or 
soften hard water in order to save soap. 

MINERAL MATTER AND POTABILITY. 

The lower waters are in mineral content the more acceptable they 
are as sources of domestic supply. The amount of dissolved sub- 
stances that can be tolerated in drinking water is, however, much 
greater than that allowable in city supplies, for which hardness, 
corrosion, pipe clogging, and general utility have to be considered. 
Though there are certain limits above which the common ingredients 
are intolerable, these limits are not only difficult to ascertain but are 
also liable to shift. A normal water is not a pure solution of one salt 
whose physiologic effect can be measured, but an indeterminate 
mixture of solutions of several salts whose effects are not easily 
differentiated. Further, though all animals select for drinking 
waters that are lowest in solids and avoid those that are highest, the 
same animals, when transported to districts of poor water, accustom 
themselves to supplies of far greater mineral content than those they 
would not touch before. Consequently any general limits that may 
be assigned to the various mineral ingredients must be regarded as 
extremely flexible. 

The degree of mineralization that can be tolerated in alkaline 
sulphate waters is greater than that allowable in alkaline chloride 
waters, and is considerably greater than that allowable in alkaline 
carbonate waters. Strong calcium sulphate waters can not be used 
for boiling vegetables and are likely to cause diarrhea, as the presence 
of calcium necessarily implies the presence of magnesium, which 
in large quantity is laxative. Calcium carbonate waters are extremely 
common, but it is unusual for them to be so highly mineralized as 
to cause noticeable physiologic effect. 

The usual immediate consequence of drinking waters too high in 
mineral content is diarrhea. Many persons at first afflicted with this 
trouble become accustomed to the new supply and acquire what maybe 
termed immunity. Whether other disorders result from the continued 
drinking of such waters is not known; and it is equally uncertain 
whether cattle and horses that so commonly are reported to have 
been killed by drinking mineral water were killed by the purging of the 
mineral matter or by the excessive consumption of the water itself. 
Waters exceeding 300 parts per million of carbonate, 1,500 parts of 
chloride, or 2,000 parts of sulphate are apparently intolerable to 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OP WATERS. 48V 

most people. These limits are fortunately far beyond the points 
where the substances in solution become clearly perceptible to the 
ordinary taste. In conclusion it can not be too emphatically stated 
that information on this subject is fragmentary and uncertain 
and that any limits of mineral tolerance are modified by individual 
idiosyncrasy. 1 

WATER FOR MEDICINAL USE. 

The term "mineral" may reasonably be applied to all natural 
waters, as all contain dissolved mineral matter, but is commonly 
restricted to natural spring waters irrespective of whether they are 
highly or slightly mineralized or whether they are deemed good 
table waters or reputed to have specific therapeutic properties. The 
term "medicinal" usually is and should be used to distinguish 
highly mineralized waters that may cause specific physiologic reaction 
from those that are low in mineral constituents and are especially 
acceptable as table waters by reason of their attractive physical 
characteristics and freedom from contamination. Though the 
literature on mineral waters is voluminous and though many schemes 
for the classification of waters reputed to have curative properties 
have been devised, yet comparatively little has been published on 
the relations between the concentration of the various dissolved 
substances and their effects within the body. Further, the distinction 
between waters having therapeutic action by virtue of their content 
of certain mineral substances and those having possible therapeutic 
action only as water itself has not been generally recognized. 

It seems entirely reasonable to conclude that the specific reactions 
caused by the radicles in natural waters are similar to those caused 
by the same radicles in simpler artificial solutions, and that the force 
or strength of such reactions depends on the concentration of the 
radicles. In other words, the probability of medicinal action due to 
the dissolved substances in natural waters can be judged by compar- 
ing the concentration of such substances with equivalent concen- 
trations of medicinal preparations whose doses have been fixed and 
whose properties have been investigated. On this basis the author 
has computed the smallest doses of certain radicles given in common 
medical practice and their equivalent concentration in 4 kilograms 
of water, or a little more than a gallon — a generous day's allowance 
of drinking water. Consistent effort has been made to have the 
concentrations finally expressed represent a minimum below which 
therapeutic activity could not logically be attributed to the radicle 
in question, and every reasonable allowance has been made with 
that object in view. The strengths thus obtained are proposed as 

i For further data see Dole, R . B . , The concentration of mineral water in relation to therapeutic activity: 
U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1911, pt. 2, pp. 1175-1192, 1912. 



488 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

standards for differentiation between medicinal and common waters, 
the assumption being that water which carries less than one medicinal 
dose of a physiologically active radicle in a day's allowance would not 
have therapeutic value by virtue of its mineral content. This does 
not necessarily imply, however, that use of such water may not be 
beneficial, for the improvement in health following the ingestion of 
hygienic ally pure water under proper regimen of diet, exercise, and 
similar factors is thoroughly recognized. On the other hand, sup- 
plies exceeding the minimum concentrations may not necessarily 
possess special medicinal value, as every reasonable allowance tend- 
ing to lower the standards has been made. 

Table 98. — Minimum medicinal doses of certain radicles and their equivalent concentration 
in 4 kilograms of water, arranged in order of concentration. 



Radicle. 



Average 
minimum dose. 



Equivalent 
concentration. 



Arsenite ( As0 2 ) 

Arsenate (AsOi) 

Fluoride (F) 

Barium (Ba) 

Hydroxide (OH) 

Aluminum ( Al) 

Iron (Fe) 

Lithium (Li) 

Ammonium (NHi) 

Manganese (Mn) 

Metaborate (B0 2 ) 

Pyroborate (B4O7) 

Iodide (I) 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Orthophosphate (PO4). 

Carbonate (C0 3 ) 

Sulphite (S0 3 ) 

Thiosulphate (S 2 3 ).._. 

Nitrate (N0 3 ) 

Bromide (Br) 

Sulphate (S0 4 ) 



Grams. 

a 0. 0002 

.002 
.003 
.013 
.011 
.024 
.075 
.078 
.12 

c.035 

.12 

.2 

.23 

.281 

.315 

.300 

.5 

.53 



Milligrams per 

kilogram. 
f 0.2 

I -3 

.5 
.7 
3 
63 
6 
15 
20 
30 
r 30 

[ 30 

30 
50 
50 
70 
70 
70 
100 
100 
150 



a Equivalent as arsenic (As). 



b In acid solution. 



c Equivalent as boron (B). 



The smallest dose of sulphates, which are laxative, recommended 
by various authorities is equivalent to about 0.6 gram S0 4 . This 
amount evidently should be contained in a quantity of water that 
might be drunk within a comparatively short period, because other- 
wise the radicle would not be concentrated enough to cause perceptible 
reaction. Nevertheless, for consistency this dose has been divided 
by 4 in the tabulation of concentrations. A water containing 600 
milligrams per kilogram of sulphate (S0 4 ) might exercise gentle 
laxative action. Many waters containing less than 1 milligram per 
kilogram of lithium are advertised as having specific curative prop- 
erties by virtue of the presence of that radicle, but the therapeutic 
value of such a small amount of this ingredient may well be ques- 
tioned, because a physician would have to prescribe 40 gallons of the 
water to administer an ordinary minimum dose of hthium. 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 489 

Study of analyses and other data on mineral waters yields four 
significant facts: First, many patients have improved in health 
under mineral-water treatment; second, waters of widely different 
chemical composition have been recommended as cures for the same 
disease; third, curative properties are attributed to many waters 
whose mineral content is the same or is lower than city supplies used 
daily by thousands of people without peculiar physiologic effect; 
fourth, treatment at resorts is very often recommended for those 
afflicted with chronic organic diseases, many of which are obscure in 
nature or are caused by failure of proper interchange between food 
and waste in the tissues of the body. These facts lead to the reason- 
able conclusion that the free use of water itself — hydrogen monoxide, 
the common ingredient of all these mineral solutions — is the cause 
of much of the apparent improvement in health, and that this agent 
is aided by normal regimen of diet and exercise and by other hygienic 
restrictions, as well as by possible change of climate and freedom 
from business or household cares. 

No doubt can be entertained that many mineral waters have dis- 
tinct physiologic effect because of the inorganic substances dissolved 
in them, for certain obvious reactions following the ingestion of 
some waters differ entirely in kind or in degree from the reactions 
following the drinking of other waters. Some natural solutions are 
poisonous; some are cathartic; some have less obvious but demon- 
strable effects. The nature and the magnitude of these reactions are 
as much dependent on the nature and the concentration of the dis- 
solved substances as the reactions caused by any medicine. As the 
administration of water in one or more of many ways and at various 
temperatures can cause marked reactions, however, it is pertinent to 
inquire how much of the therapeutic value of natural mineral waters 
is due to dissolved inorganic matter and how much to water itself. 

PURIFICATION OF WATER. 

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS. 

Purification of water is removal or reduction in amount of the 
substances that render waters in their raw state unsuitable for use. 
It is practiced on a large scale with one or more of three objects in 
view: First, to render the supply safe and unobjectionable for drink- 
ing; second, to reduce the amount of the mineral ingredients inju- 
rious to boilers; third, to remove substances injurious to machinery 
or to industrial products. The largest purifying plants in this coun- 
try have been constructed almost solely to render the waters pot- 
able; and some waters when so purified need no further treatment 
to make them suitable for steaming and for general industrial pur- 
poses. But many other waters are hard, and increased appreciation 



490 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

of the value of good water has resulted in demand for the removal 
of the hardening constituents also. 

Removal of bacteria, especially those causing disease, and removal 
of turbidity, odor, taste, and iron are the principal requirements in 
purification of a municipal supply, elimination of bacteria and sus- 
pended matter being the most important. The common methods of 
effecting such purification are slow filtration through sand and rapid 
filtration after coagulation, both methods usually being combined 
with sedimentation. 1 The first process is known as "slow sand" 
filtration and the second as "mechanical" or "rapid sand" filtration. 
The efficiency of such filters is measured primarily by the ratio be- 
tween the number of bacteria in the applied water and the number 
hi the effluent. This figure, stated in percentage of removal, should 
be as high as 98, and it often reaches 99.8 per cent under normal 
conditions with a carefully operated filter of either kind. 

Removal of scale-forming and neutralization of corrosive ' con- 
stituents are the chief aims in preparing water for steam making. 
For this two general methods are employed — cold chemical precipi- 
tation followed by sedimentation and heating with or without chem- 
icals, usually followed by rapid filtration. The first process is carried 
on in cold-water softening plants and the second in feed-water 
heaters. 

METHODS OF PURIFICATION. 

The requirements of the water supplies for industries are so varied 
that classification of purification methods is difficult. Water prop- 
erly prepared for domestic and boiler use is suitable for most indus- 
trial establishments, and it is more economicalfor small manufac- 
turers in large cities to obtain such water from the city mains than 
to maintain private supplies and purification apparatus. It is 
usually cheaper, however, for large factories to be supplied from sepa- 
rate sources, not only because of saving in actual cost of water, but 
also because of the opportunity thus afforded of procuring water 
specially adapted to the needs of the factory. The common methods 
of indus trial water purification are those already mentioned, or com- 
binations of them, modified to meet particular needs. In a few 
industrial processes, notably the manufacture of ice by the can 
system, water practically free from all dissolved and suspended sub- 
stances is necessary, and distilled water must be manufactured. 
Recent improvements in multiple-effect evaporators have greatly 
reduced the cost of distillation, so that it is now economical to distill 
for industrial and domestic use many waters heretofore considered 
too highly mineralized for treatment. Many large factories, hotels, 
and even municipalities have installed multiple-effect stills. 

i For descriptions of filters see Johnson, G. A., The purification of public water supplies: U. S. Geol. 
Survey Water-Supply Paper 315, 1913. 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 491 

Besides the four common systems of purification many minor 
processes are used, sometimes alone but more frequently as adjuncts 
to filters or softeners. Surface waters are screened through wooden 
or iron grids or through revolving wire screens to remove sticks and 
leaves before other treatment. Coarse suspended matter can be 
removed by rapid filtration through ground quartz or similar mate- 
rial in units of convenient size provided with arrangements for 
washing the filtering medium similar to those used in mechanical 
filters. Very turbid river waters may be first allowed to stand in 
large sedimentation basins in order to reduce the cost of operating 
the filters by preliminary removal of a large part of the suspended 
solids. Supplies undesirable only because of their iron content are 
aerated by being sprayed into the air, by being allowed to trickle 
over the rocks, or by other methods that cause evaporation of car- 
bonic acid and absorption of oxygen, thus precipitating and oxidizing 
the iron in solution so that it can readily be removed by rapid filtra- 
tion. Similar aeration is employed to evaporate and oxidize dissolved 
gases that cause objectionable tastes and odors. 

Disinfection by ozone, copper sulphate, calcium hypochlorite, and 
many other substances kills organisms that may cause disease or 
impart bad odors and tastes. Purification of this character must 
be done with substances that destroy the objectionable organisms 
without making the water poisonous to animals. Calcium hypo- 
chlorite, sodium hypochlorite, and chlorine gas are used to disinfect 
drinking water, and treatment with these substances is now widely 
practiced either as an adjunct to filtration or as an emergency pre- 
caution where otherwise untreated supplies are believed to be con- 
taminated. Disinfection by this method is not a substitute for 
purification by nitration, for it does not remove suspended matter 
nor appreciable amounts of color, organic matter, swampy tastes, or 
odors, and it does not soften water. 1 Natural purification of water 
is accomplished largely through biologic processes, 2 in which the 
organic matter is oxidized by serving as food for bacteria, and ob- 
jectionable organisms are destroyed by the production of conditions 
unfavorable to their existence. Action of this kind takes place in 
reservoirs and lakes, and it is also relied upon in many processes for 
the artificial purification of sewage. 3 

SLOW SAND FILTRATION. 

Slow sand filtration consists in causing the water to pass down- 
ward through a layer of sand of such thickness and fineness that the 
requisite removal of suspended substances is accomplished. The 

• Johnson, G. A., The purification of public water supplies: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 
315, p. 71, 1913. 

2 Hazen, Allen, Clean water and how to get it, New York, p. S3, 1907. 

3 Winslow, C.-E. A., and Phelps., E. B., Investigations on the purification of Boston sewage: U. S. 
Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 185, 1906. 



492 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

slow sand filter is also called the " continuous" and the ''English" 
filter. On the bottom of a water-tight basin, commonly constructed 
of concrete, perforated tiles or pipes laid in the form of a grid are 
covered with a foot of gravel, graded in size from 25 to 3 millimeters 
in diameter from bottom to top. A layer of fine sand, 3 to 4 feet 
deep, is put over the gravel, which serves only to support the sand. 
When water is applied on the surface it passes through the sand and 
the gravel and flows away through the underdrain. The suspended 
materials, including bacteria, are removed by the sand, the action of 
which is rendered more efficient by the rapid formation of a mat of 
finely divided sediment on its surface. When this film has become 
so thick that filtration is unduly retarded, the water is allowed to 
subside and about half an inch of sand is removed, after which 
filtration is resumed. The sand thus taken off is washed to free it 
from the collected impurities and is replaced on the beds after they 
have been reduced about a foot in thickness by successive scrapings. 
As cleaning necessitates temporary withdrawal of filters from service, 
they are divided into units of convenient size, usually one-half to 
1 acre each, so that the operation of the entire system may not be 
interrupted. Most modern filters are roofed and sodded as this 
facilitates cleaning by preventing the formation of ice, permits work 
on the filter beds in all kinds of weather, inhibits algse growths, and 
prevents agitation of the water by wind and rain. 

The foregoing are the essential features of a slow sand filter, but 
several adjuncts render this system more efficient. A clear-water 
basin for the filtered supply, covered to prevent deterioration of the 
water, is provided in order that the varying rate of consumption 
may not affect the rate of filtration. Clarification of turbid water is 
rendered more economical by allowing it to stand for one to three 
days, during which a large portion of the suspended matter is depos- 
ited, so that the time between sand scrapings is lengthened. In 
some plants roughing, or preliminary, filters consisting of beds of 
coarse sand or fine crushed stone are provided, through which the 
water flows 15 to 20 times as fast as through the sand filters, a very 
large proportion of the suspended matter being thus removed. Ob- 
jectionable odors and tastes may be obviated by aeration before 
or after filtration. Killing the bacteria before filtration by use of 
chlorine or other germicides is also practiced. 

Slow sand filtration removes practically all the suspended matter 
and the bacteria. Color is only slightly reduced and hardness is not 
changed. The process is specially adapted to waters low in color, 
suspended matter, and animal pollution. Very small particles of 
clay are not removed by these filters, and waters carrying such par- 
ticles only for short periods may be benefited by the occasional 
addition of a coagulant before filtration. It can readily be seen that 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 493 

the efficiency of this kind of filter depends largely on the character 
of the sand, as the ability to prevent the passage of suspended matter 
is governed by the size of the spaces between the sand particles. 
The rate of filtration depends on the average size of the sand parti- 
cles, the thickness of the sand bed, the head of the water, and the 
turbidity. Under ordinary conditions of operation in the United 
States the rate of slow sand filtration of water previously subjected 
to sedimentation is 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 gallons per acre per day. 

RAPID SAND FILTRATION. 

The rapid sand filter is also known as the American filter, and till 
recently it was generally styled the "mechanical" filter because of 
its contrivances for washing the sand. Its distinctive features are 
its use of a coagulant and its high rate of filtration. While the raw 
water is entering the sedimentation basin, which is smaller than that 
used with slow sand filters, it is treated with a definite proportion of 
some coagulant, which forms by its decomposition a gelatinous pre- 
cipitate that unites and incloses the suspended material, including 
the bacteria, and absorbs the organic coloring matter. This com- 
bined action destroys color and makes suspended particles larger, 
and therefore more readily removable. When aluminum sulphate, 
the coagulant most commonly used, is decomposed, aluminum hy- 
drate is precipitated and the sulphate radicle remains in solution, 
replacing an equivalent amount of the carbonate, bicarbonate, or 
hydrate radicle. One part per million of ordinary aluminum sul- 
phate requires somewhat more than 0.6 part of alkalinity expressed 
as CaC0 3 to insure complete decomposition. 1 The natural alkalinity 
of many waters is sufficient to effect this reaction. If the alkalinity 
is not sufficient, part of the aluminum sulphate remains in solution, 
and good coagulation does not take place. Therefore lime or soda 
ash is added if the alkalinity is too low. The proper amount of alu- 
minum sulphate to be used is determined by the amounts of color, 
organic matter, and suspended matter, and by the fineness of the 
suspended matter, and it is best ascertained by direct experimenta- 
tion with the water to be purified. Much of the trouble in operating 
the earlier types of rapid filters has been caused by failure to produce 
a good "floe" or precipitation partly because of improper ratios of 
coagulant and alkalinity. 

Ferrous sulphate instead of aluminum sulphate is used as a coagu- 
lant in some filtration plants. To this lime must be added in order 
to bring about proper coagulation. 

The water after having been mixed with the coagulant is allowed 
to stand for three or four hours in the sedimentation basin, where a 
large proportion of the suspended particles is deposited. It is then 

1 Hazen, Allen, Report of the filtration commission of the city of Pittsburgh, p. 57, 1899, 



494 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

passed rapidly through beds of sand or ground stone to remove the 
rest of the suspended matter. Many filters now in use are built in 
cylindrical form 10 to 20 feet in diameter, and some are so designed 
that filtration can be hastened by pressure. The sand, 30 to 50 
inches deep and coarser than that used in slow sand niters, rests on a 
metallic floor containing perforations large enough to allow ready 
issue of the water but small enough to prevent passage of sand 
grams. When the filter has become clogged the flow of water is 
reversed, filtered water being forced upward through the sand to 
wash it and to remove the impurities, which pass over the top of the 
filter with the wasted water. A revolving rake with long prongs 
projecting downward into the sand mixes it during washing and 
prevents it from becoming graded into spots of coarse or fine parti- 
cles. In recently constructed works rectangular niters 300 to 1,300 
square feet in area have been built, in which the sand is agitated 
during washing by compressed ajr forced through it at intervals 
instead of by a revolving rake. Larger orifices in the strainers are 
also being used, the passage of sand being prevented by fine gravel 
over the strainer pipes. The rate of filtration is from 100,000,000 
to 120,000,000 gallons per acre per day. The time between wash- 
ings is 6 to 12 hours, depending principally on the turbidity of the 
water. 

Mechanical filtration removes practically all suspended matter, 
reduces the color to unobjectionable proportions, and under some 
conditions removes part of the dissolved iron. The permanent 
hardness of the water is increased in proportion to the amount of 
sulphate added by the coagulant, and if only enough lime to decom- 
pose the coagulant is added the total hardness is slightly increased. 
If larger amounts of lime are added, however, the total hardness is 
reduced. If soda ash is used in place of lime, the foaming constitu- 
ents are slightly increased. The chemicals are always added in 
solution. As this method of nitration is used almost entirely for 
river waters with fluctuating contents of suspended and dissolved 
matter, proper operation requires constant and intelligent attention. 

COLD-WATER SOFTENING. 

The principal objects of water softening are to remove the sub- 
stances that cause incrustations in boilers, particularly calcium and 
magnesium, and to neutralize those that cause corrosion. Solutions 
of chemicals of known strength are added to the raw supply in such 
proportion as to precipitate all the dissolved constituents that can 
be economically removed by such treatment. The water is then 
allowed to stand long enough to permit the precipitate to settle, 
after which the clear effluent is drawn off, or the partly clarified 
effluent may be filtered very rapidly through thin beds of coke, 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 495 

sponge, excelsior, bagging, or similar material in order to remove 
particles that have not subsided in the tanks. The water softeners 
on the market differ from each other principally in the precipitant, 
in the filtering medium, if one is used, and in the mechanism regulat- 
ing the incorporation of the chemicals with the water. Installa- 
tions may be of any size to suit consumption, and the process can be 
combined with rapid sand filtration for purifying municipal supplies. 
Among the substances that have been proposed as precipitants are 
sodium carbonate (soda ash), silicate, hydrate (caustic), fluoride, 
and phosphate; barium carbonate, oxide, and hydrate; and calcium 
oxide (quicklime). Lime and soda ash, however, are almost exclu- 
sively used on account of their excellent action and comparative 
cheapness. 

When soda ash (Na 2 C0 3 ) and lime dissolved in water to form a 
solution of calcium hydrate, Ca(OH) 2 , are added to a water in proper 
proportion free acids are neutralized, free carbon dioxide is removed, 
bicarbonates are decomposed, and iron, aluminum, and magnesium 
hydrates and calcium carbonate are precipitated. The precipitate 
in settling takes down with it a large proportion of the suspended 
matter. The treatment removes the incrusting constituents prac- 
tically to the limit of their solubility and also removes the calcium 
added as lime. Sodium, potassium, sulphates, and chlorides are 
left in solution, and the alkalies are increased in proportion to the 
quantity of soda ash added; that is, the foaming constituents are 
increased, and the maximum proportion of these that is allowable 
in the treated water fixes the maximum proportion of incrustants 
that a raw water can contain and be satisfactorily treated. The 
proportion of incrustants left in a treated water is determined by the 
solubility of the precipitated substances and by the completeness of 
the reaction between the added chemicals and the dissolved matter. 
It has been brought below 90 parts per million in some well-treated 
waters. The sulphate radicle can be removed by using barium com- 
pounds, which precipitate barium sulphate, but the poisonous effect 
of even small amounts of barium and the relatively high cost of its 
salts are great objections to their use. The chlorides are not changed 
in amount by water softening. The chemicals should be very 
thoroughly mixed with the raw water and sufficient time should be 
allowed for complete reaction, which proceeds rather slowly, for 
otherwise precipitation will occur later in pipe lines or in boilers. 

FEED-WATEPv HEATING. 

Water heaters are designed primarily to utilize waste heat in sta- 
tionary boiler plants by raising the temperature of the feed water 
and thereby lessening the work of the boilers themselves, but they 
also effect some purification, and many heaters have been specially 



496 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

designed with that end in view. The heat is derived from exhaust 
steam or from flue gases. Heaters utilizing steam either are open — ■ 
that is, operated at atmospheric pressure — or are closed and operated 
at or near boiler pressure. In accordance with these different con- 
ditions, which result in distinct purifying effects, feed-water heaters 
are classified as "open" or " closed" or " economizers," the last 
being those using flue gases. 

In most forms of open heaters, which are best adapted for removing 
large quantities of the materials that form soft scale, the steam enters 
at the bottom and the water at the top, and intimate contact be- 
tween the two is obtained by spraying the water or by allowing it to 
trickle over or to splash against plates. By this process the water is 
quickly heated nearly to boiling temperature; dissolved gases are 
expelled; bicarbonates are decomposed; and iron, aluminum, part 
of the magnesium, and calcium equivalent to the carbonates after 
decomposition of the bicarbonates are precipitated as hydrates, 
oxides, and carbonates, under varying conditions of temperature, 
pressure, and time. The precipitate agglomerates the particles of 
suspended matter and makes them more readily removable by sedi- 
mentation and filtration. The slowness with which the reactions 
take place and the presence of acid radicles other than carbonates 
to hold the bases in solution prevent complete removal of calcium 
and magnesium. The addition of soda ash in proper proportion, 
however, effects fairly complete precipitation of the alkaline earths, 
and apparatus for constant introduction of this chemical in solution 
may be provided. Open heaters operated without a chemical pre- 
cipitant remove constituents that are soft and bulky and leave those 
that form hard scale. Scale from water treated without chemicals 
in such heaters is therefore not so great in amount but is harder than 
that formed by the raw water. 

After the precipitate has been formed the water passes through 
filters of burlap, excelsior, straw, hay, wool, coke, or similar mate- 
rials arranged in units that can readily be cleaned. 

In closed heaters the water is passed through tubes surrounded by 
steam or around steam pipes, and manholes or other openings are 
provided for removing the scale from the tubes. As the water is 
heated under pressure some precipitation takes place, but closed 
heaters are not so efficient in this respect as open heaters, because 
they do not permit escape of the gases liberated from the water. 
This objection does not hold if treatment in a closed heater follows 
"treatment in an open one, from which the gases escape. Several 
systems accomplish very good purification by using a unit of each 
type in series. 

Economizers consist essentially of water tubes set in flues leading 
from the furnaces. Facilities are provided for cleaning scale from 



CHEMICAL CHAEACTEE OF WATEES. 497 

the inside and soot from the outside of the tubes. As economizers 
are heated by flue gases, the water in the tubes can be heated under 
pressure to much higher temperature than in open or closed heaters, 
and conditions of ordinary boiler operation are approximated. The 
precipitation of incrustants varies greatly with the normally fluctu- 
ating temperature of the flue gases. 

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF SURFACE WATERS. 

From October, 1906, to October, 1907, daily samples of water 
were collected from six rivers in Georgia by representatives of the 
United States Geological Survey in connection with an extensive 
study of the quality of surface waters of the United States. The 
daily samples were united in sets of 10 consecutive samples from 
each river and the composites thus obtained were analyzed. 1 Through 
the courtesy of the authorities in charge at the University of Georgia 
the Survey was furnished laboratory space and other facilities for 
the performance of these examinations till May, 1907, when the 
work was transferred to Survey laboratories at Norfolk, Va., and 
Washington, D. C. 

In the following tables of analyses the first column gives the tur- 
bidity or cloudiness of the water compared with that of standard 
suspensions of diatomaceous earth, 2 and the second gives the weight 
of the suspended matter dried at 180° C. The third column is 
obtained by dividing the weight of the suspended matter by the tur- 
bidity. It expresses the comparative fineness of the suspended 
solids, a matter of much interest to operators of plants for purification 
of water. The last column gives the mean gage height of the river 
during each sample period in order that the river stage may be com- 
pared with the mineral content of the water. The next to the last 
column gives the weight of the total dissolved solids dried at 180° C. 
in distinction from that of the suspended solids. The other columns 
indicate the composition of the dissolved solids. 

1 For description of methods of analysis see Dole, R. B., The quality of surface waters of the United 
States: Part I, Analyses of waters east of the one hundredth meridian: U". S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply 
Paper 236, 1909. 

2 Report of the committee on standard methods for the examination of water and sewage, Am. Public 
Health Assoc, New York, p. 7, 1912. 

38418°— wsp 341—15 32 



498 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



Table 99. — Mineral analyses of water from Chattahoochee River at West Point. - 
[Parts per million unless otherwise stated.] 





Date 
(1906-7). 






a 










bio 


03 ^ 


2. 
3 


•a 

S3 . 


3 






a> 


2 








3 


a 

d 


o . 

is 


a 
o 


O 
33 


"3" 


C3 

O 

n 

3 


IS 


a s. 


03 

03O 
O 


- z 


C3 

■Sot 


2 g, 


6 


__, a 
-. 


© 


From — 


To— 


<D 
M 
03 

ho 








Eh 


CO 


to 
o 


"8 


33 


o 

H 

*-< 


a 
O 


bo 

03 

3 


~3 .2 
O M 


£2 
>H 

03 

O 


3 ^ 

3 


ft 
3 


% 


3 
o 


o 


03 
1 






































Feet. 


Oct. 


20 


Oct. 29 


86 


50 


0.59 




16 


1.0 


6.6 


1.2 




0.0 


24 




0.0 


2.0 


50 


4.2 


Oct. 


30 


Nov. 8 


45 


25 


.56 




30 


.6 


3.6 


.8 




.0 


19 




4 


2.5 


60 


3 4 




9 

19 


Nov. 18 
Nov. 29 


65 
70 


37 
24 


.57 
.34 




20 
26 


.20 

.7 


5.7 
6.8 


Tr 
1.6 




.0 
.0 


22 
27 




.4 
.6 


1.5 
3.0 


54 
71 


3 5 


Nov. 




4.1 


Nov. 


30 


Dec. 9 


60 


37 


.62 




30 


.8 


6.0 


2.8 




.0 


2-1 




.7 


2.8 


77 


3.3 


Dec. 


10 


Dec. 19 


55 


34 


.62 




32 


.0 


6.4 


2.4 




.0 


29 




.4 


3.0 


81 


4.1 


Dec. 


31 


Jan. 1 


1311 


96 


.74 




32 


.9 


3 !1 


Tr 







15 






1 5 


60 


4.8 


Jan. 


2 


Jan. 11 


85 


65 


.76 




24 


.7 


2.3 


.8 




.0 






.8 


2.5 


55 


5.3 


Jan. 


12 


Jan. 21 


25 


14 


.56 




17 


.10 


4.7 


.8 




.0 


17 




.8 


3.5 


59 


3.7 


Jan. 


22 


Jan. 31 


15 


9.0 


.60 




24 


.30 


7.4 


1.6 




.0 


29 




.5 


3.5 


59 


3.5 


Feb. 


1 


Fob. 10 


220 


169 


.77 




33 


1.2 


3.6 


1.6 




.0 






.4 


1.8 


53 


7.2 


Feb. 


11 

27 
9 
19 
29 


Feb. 26 
Mar. 8 
Mar. IS 
Mar. 2S 
Apr. 7 


55 

260 
290 
30 
285 


42 

205 
166 
26 
264 


.76 
.79 
.57 
.87 
.9? 




IS 
25 
24 
11 

28 


.9 
1.3 

.9 
1.0 
1.4 


4.8 
4.4 
" 5.6 
6.4 
6.S 


Tr 
Tr. 
Tr 
Tr 
Tr. 




.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 



15 
15 
20 
22 

22 




.3 
.3 
.4 
.2 

4 


"i.~5 

2.5 

2.5 
3 


56 
53 
53 
40 

59 


3.8 


Feb. 




7 7 






3.8 






3 6 


Mar. 




3.5 


Apr. 
Apr. 
Apr. 


8 


Apr. 17 
Apr. 27 
May 7 


190 


220 


1 16 




27 


1.1 


? 


Tr. 




.0 


9.8 




1 6 


1 5 


40 


3.7 


IS 


185 


175 


.95 




18 


1.0 


2.5 


Tr. 




.0 


9.8 




1 S 


? 


33 


5 9 


28 


1S5'165 


.89 




16 


1.3 


3.5 


.8 




.0 


12 




1.1 


1.5 


34 


4.6 


May 


8 


May 18 


350 279 


.80 


16 


22 


.03 


4.9 


1.1 


S.S 


68.4 


13 


4.S 


.9 




57 


5.1 


May 


19 


Mav 28 


115 


76 


.66 


7.9 


23 


.03 


5.2 


l.S 


9.2 


&S.4 


21 


5.f 


.9 


1.3 


65 


3.6 


May 


29 


June 7 


260 


166 


.64 


10 


14 


.03 


3.C 


.6 


10 


.0 


26 


4.0 


1.2 


1.7 


47 


3.7 


June 


8 


June 17 


13(1 


91 


.70 


2.4 


16 


.03 


3.2 


1.1 


7.2 


63.6 


21 


3.5 


.0 


1.0 


45 


3.1 


June 


18 


June 27 


12(1 


81 


.67 


5.S 


11 


.00 


5.1 


1.2 


6.7 


.0 


16 


7.6 


.7 


1.7 


42 


2.8 


June 


28 


July 7 


340 


246 


.72 


13 


12 


.00 


4.9 


.7 


7.0 


6Tr. 


27 


4.0 


1.1 


2.0 


45 


3.2 


Julv 


9 


July IS 


450 


448 


1.00 


35 


9.0 


.00 


4.2 


.9 


7.6 


.0 


28 


3.0 


1.0 


1.2 


36 


3.0 


Julv 


19 


July 2S 


325 


214 


.66 


12 


13 


.00 


4.0 


1.1 


8.1 


.0 


24 


3.8 


1.1 


1.2 


40 


2.6 


Julv 


29 


Aug. 7 


375 


2S9 


. / 1 


21 


12 


.03 


6.0 


1.3 


9.4 


.0 


37 


6.6 


1.2 


4.8 


63 


2.7 


Aug. 


8 


Aug. 17 


40C 


220 


. 55 


10 


14 


Tr. 


3.2 


1.0 


7.9 


.r 


24 


4.f 


1.1 


1.8 


47 


2.6 


Aug. 


18 


Aug. 27 


375 


242 


.64 


6.6 


15 


Tr. 


4.2 


.6 


6.3 


.0 


28 


4.2 


1.1 


2.0 


48 


2.6 


Aug. 


28 


Sept. 6 


225 


121 


.54 


3.7 


17 


Tr. 


4.S 


.5 


6.5 


.0 


27 


4.S 


1.0 


1.8 


60 


2.0 


Sept. 


17 


Sept. 26 


155 


129 


.83 


5.2 


12 


Tr. 


5.1 


.S 


6.6 


.0 


27 


4.3 


.7 


1.3 


46 


2.6 


Sept. 


27 


Oct. S 


185 


100 


.54 


12 


IS 


Tr. 


4.E 


.4 


9.0 


.0 


29 


4.1 


1.0 


1.8 


54 


2.5 


Oct. 


9 
Me 


Oct. IS 
m 


140 


98 


.70 


4.4 


8.9 


Tr. 


5.7 


1.0 


5.8 


.0 


27 


3.5 


.6 


1.7 


42 


2.1 




185 


136 


.71 




20 


.47 


4.8 


.8 


7.7 


- .0 


23 


4.5 


.7 


2.1 


52 




Per cent 


of anhy- 




































us r 












38- C 


el.3 


9.1 


1.6 


14.6 


21.5 




8.5 


1.4 


4.0 

























a Analyses Oct. 20, 1906, to May 7, 1907, by Jas. R. Evans; May 8 to Oct. IS, 1907, by R. B. Dole, Chase 
Palmer, "and W. D. Collins. Samples collected by E. N. Dunn in midstream from Montgomery Street 
Bridge. Gage heights measured at same place. 

b Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average. 

c Fe 2 3 . 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 



499 



Table 100. — -Mineral analyses of ivater from Ocmulgee River near Macon. a 
[Parts per million unless otherwise stated.] 



Date 
(1906-7). 


w 

3 


u 

CD 

03 

a 
tj 

a> 

W 
CI 

ft 

d 

co 


S 

a 
cd 

o . 

d <x> 
.2 pi 

o 

sS 

CD 
O 

o 


"3" 

5. 

a 

o 

3 
o 


O 
co 

03 
CD 


d 
o 
u 


oT 
o 

3 
o 


bo 

d 

CD 

d 

hO 
03 

a 


03^. 

ofcd 

ll 

II 

w-d 

O Ol 
CO 


o 

w 

03 

So 

o 
.a 
t-< 

03 
O 


3 

03 . 

cdO 

lb 

§s 

•e.2 

s 


CD 

i 

03 

CD© 

o3*~< 

.a 

■S* 
d 

CO 

'3.3 

2.0 
5.9 
4.9 
4.8 
5.2 

6.8 
4.7 
4.3 
4.7 
5.8 
6.4 

'5."5* 


cd' 



to 

c3 


d 





CD 
> 

03 " 



CH 

50 
66 
77 
72 
77 
75 
56 
88 
46 
64 
58 
57 
71 
47 
52 
70 
64 
48 
50 
96 
85 
91 
78 
86 
84 
94 
35 
64 
53 
87 
70 
85 
70 


S 

bJO 

'3 


From — 


To— 


CD 
ho 

03 

bo 

d 

03 


Oct. 19 
Oct. 29 
Nov. 8 
Nov. 18 
Nov. 28 
Dec. 8 
Dec. 21 
Jan. 5 
Jan. 17 
Jan. 27 
Feb. 6 
Feb. 16 
Feb. 26 
Mar. 8 
Mar. 18 
Mar. 28 
Apr. 7 
Apr. 17 
Apr. 27 
May 7 
May 17 
May 27 
June 6 
June 16 
June 27 
July 12 
Aug. 3 
Aug. 13 
Aug. 24 
Sept. 10 
Sept. 20 
Oct. 1 
Oct. 12 


Oct. 28 
Nov. 7 
Nov. 17 
Nov. 27 
Dec. 7 
Dec. 17 
Jan. 4 
Jan. 16 
Jan. 26 
Feb. 5 
Feb. 15 
Feb. 25 
Mar. 7 
Mar. 17 
Mar. 27 
Apr. 6 
Apr. 16 
Apr. 26 
May 6 
May 16 
May 26 
June 5 
June 15 
June 26 
July 11 
July 21 
Aug. 12 
Aug. 22 
Sept. 9 
Sept. 19 
Sept. 30 
Oct. 10 
Oct. 21 


35 
49 
50 
65 
60 
75 
30 
60 
40 
240 
75 
40 
210 
55 
35 
25 
30 
560 
450 
204 
45 
310 
226 
410 
670 
416 
1,100 
580 
550 
270 
400 
180 
35 


27 
14 
18 
26 
24 
46 
20 
42 
28 
189 
60 
33 
178 
46 
27 
23 
29 
511 
416 
158 
31 
234 
179 
241 
527 
331 
807 
552 
414 
133 
260 
90 
32 


0.77 
.29 
.36 
.40 
.40 
.61 
.67 
.70 
.70 
.79 
.80 
.83 
.85 
.84 
.77 
.92 
.97 
.91 
.92 
.77 
.69 
.75 
.79 
.59 
.79 
.79 
.73 
.95 
.75 
.49 
.65 
.50 
.91 


21 

35 

16 

10 
8.9 
2.6 
1.1 


12 
32 
30 
30 
26 
29 
26 
18 
21 
34 
32 
33 
38 
15 
14 
27 
23 
21 
24 
31 
25 
26 
23 
25 
23 
32 
7.5 
21 
16 
41 
29 
42 
28 


0.6 

.5 

.20 

.30 

.9 

.7 

.9 

.8 

.8 

1.8 

.8 

.7 

1.4 

.8 

1.0 

1.2 

2.1 

1.7 

1.4 

1.1 

2.0 

1.2 

1.2 

2.4 

2.0 

1.6 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 


5.6 
5.2 
8.3 
7.5 
8.1 
9.6 
4.4 
3.6 
3.6 
4.6 
7.6 
8.0 
6.8 
6.0 
9.6 
11 
9.2 
5.5 
4.5 
6.7 
5.7 
4.9 
5.7 
4.1 
6.5 
8.1 
5.0 
5.8 
5.8 
6.4 
5.1 
5.7 
4.7 


1.6 
.8 

Tr. 

1.2 

1.6 

1.2 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

2.4 

Tr. 

1.6 

Tr. 
.8 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

1.2 
.8 

2.9 
2.8 
2.6 
2.4 
1.5 
2.2 
1.5 
1.8 
1.8 
2.3 
1.8 
1.8 
1.4 


io'" 

8.1 

11 
4.4 
6.9 
6.3 
7.5 
6.8 

11 
6.6 
7.4 

11 

11 
8.1 


0.0 

.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 


20 
22 
27 
22 
25 
32 
15 
12 
12 

"24" 

27 
22 
20 
29 
34 
29 
24 
15 
40 
43 

'37" 
31 
31 
41 
24 
40 
32 
38 
34 
37 
30 


0.1 

.5 

.5 

.2 

.6 

.8 

.1 

.5 

.4 

.5 

.4 

.3 

1.2 

.6 

.5 

.7 

.8 

1.6 

1.8 

1.0 

.3 

.4 

.4 

1.1 

. 7 

1.0 

1.1 

.1.2 

1.3 

.9 

1.0 

.7 

.6 


4.0 
3.0 
1.5 
1.8 
1.5 
1.7 
4.0 
3.5 
2.0 
2.5 
2.0 
1.5 
3.5 
3.0 
3.5 

3.5 
4.0 
2.5 
3.0 
5.0 
4.0 
2.5 
3.0 
4.0 
3.5 
4.0 
1.4 
■1.8 
2.6 
1.0 
2.3 
3.0 
3.2 


Ft. 
3.7 
2.9 
3.0 
4.0 
2.8 
3.3 
5.4 
4.3 
3.3 
7.2 
7.8 
4.0 
8.9 
5.0 
3.4 
3.1 
3.4 
7.7 
5.3 
4.5 
3.0 
3.1 
2.8 
2.5 
4.3 
2.2 
2.7 
3.3 
1.7 
1.1 
3.7 
1.6 
.9 


Me 

Per cent 

drous r 


m 

of anhy- 


230 


174 


.72 




26 
39.8 


.9 
62.0 


6.3 
9.6 


1.2 
1.8 


8.3 

12.7 


.0 
21.2 


28 


4.9 

7.5 


.7 
1.1 


2.8 
4.3 


69 


.... 















a Analyses Oct. 19, 1906, to May 6, 1907, by J. R. Evans: May 7 to July 21, 1907, by W. D. Collins; 
Aug. 3 to Oct. 21, by P. B. Dole, Chase Palmer, and W. D. Collins. Samples collected by G. E. Lawton 
in midstream from bridge. Gage heights measured at same place. 

& Fe20 3 . 



500 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



Table 101. — Mineral analyses of water from Savannah River near Augusta.® 
[I 'arts per million unless otherwise stated.] 



Date 
(1906-7). 


u 

B 

Eh 


03 

a 

■d 

3 
CO 


6 
a 
<a 

"3 . 

3 a 
.2 
o 

e 

■D 

O 

O 


d 
o 

M 

C! 
O 

&H 


O 
'co 

03 
o 

CO 


a 
o 

t-4 


03 

O 

¥ 

'o 

"o3 

O 


Mi 

s 

3 

§ 
M 
03 


d X 
a .3 

la 

o <o 

CO 


'■5 

03 

.go 

3~ 
O 

,o 

03 
O 


'■5 

03 . 

«o 

•8* 

3 


■d 

c3 


o 

tax 


o 

o 

a 
o 

o 


d 
• 

o 

id|d 

03 
O 


.5? 


From— 


To— 


8 o 

■2 to 

03 v-' 
43 
_ft 

3 
CO 


"O 
a> ^ 
o3 

M 

2 


Ml 
03 
Ml 

a 

03 
CD 


Oct. 25 
Nov. 4 
Nov. 14 
Nov. 24 
Dee. 4 
Dec. 14 
Dec. 24 
Jan. 3 
Jan. 13 
Jan. 23 
Feb. 3 
Feb. 13 
Mar. 13 
Mar. 23 
Apr. 2 
Apr. 12 
Apr. 22 
May 2 
May 12 
May 23 
June 2 
June 12 
June 22 
July 4 
July' 14 
July 24 
Aug. 4 
Aug. 14 
Aug. 24 
Sept. 3 
Sept. 13 
Sept. 23 
Oct. 3 
Oct. 13 


Nov. 3 
Nov. 13 
Nov. 23 
Dec. 3 
Dec. 13 
Dec. 23 
Jan. 2 
Jan. 12 
Jan. 22 
Feb. 2 
Feb. 12 
Feb. 22 
Mar. 22 
Apr. 1 
Apr. 11 
Apr. 21 
May 1 
May 11 
May 22 
June 1 
June 11 
June 21 
July 3 
July 13 
July 23 
Aug. 3 
Aug. 13 
Aug. 23 
Sept. 2 
Sept. 12 
Sept. 22 
Oct. 2 
Oct. 12 
Oct. 22 


45 

40 

35 

40 

55 

65 

85 

60 

16 

60 

150 

20 

22 

15 

45 

210 

340 

265 

45 

130 

175 

300 

425 

315 

425 

400 

575 

475 

160 

270 

200 

300 

65 

25 


33 

17 

12 

17 

20 

22 

55 

46 

10 

41 

127 

17 

15 

14 

42 

205 

316 

248 

38 

142 

259 

231 

338 

255 

446 

419 

424 

318 

75 

159 

72 

299 

59 

25 


0.73 
.42 
.34 
.42 
.36 
.34 
.65 
.77 
.62 
.68 
.85 
.85 
.68 
.93 
.93 
.98 
.93 
.94 
.84 

1.09 

1.65 
.77 
.79 
.81 

1.05 

1.05 
.74 
.67 
.47 
.59 
.36 

1.00 
.91 

1.00 


3.2 

5.2 
14 

9.6 
14 

9.4 
18 
14 
46 
28 

7.9 
11 

9.3 
21 

5.6 

2.4 


21 
28 
32 

32 
34 
31 
36 
24 
17 
30 
23 
13 
12 
20 
23 
26 
20 
17 
37 
31 
21 
17 
15 
25 
30 
14 
15 
16 
22 
18 
19 
14 
16 
21 


0.20 
.30 
.20 
.30 
.30 
.40 
.7 
.40 
.40 
.7 

1.2 
.9 
.9 

1.2 

1.4 

1.6 

1.8 
.22 
.20 
.54 
.08 
.06 
.20 
.26 
.04 

Tr. 
.04 

Tr. 
.04 
.00 
.04 

Tr. 
.00 


5.4 
6.2 
4.4 
4.9 
6.4 
6.2 
3.9 
3.9 
6.0 
8.2 
5.4 
7.6 
5.6 
8.4 
8.4 
7.6 
5.5 
7.2 
5.9 
5.2 
4.9 
5.1 
5.1 
5.0 
5.0 
4.7 
5.1 
5.1 
5.0 
5.0 
6.0 
6.0 
4.6 
5.3 


1.2 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

3.2 

2.8 

Tr. 

1.6 

4.8 

2.8 

.8 

1.2 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

1.6 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.2 

.4 

.7 

.4 
.6 
.5 
.5 
.4 
.5 
.3 
.4 
.5 


13 

13 

11 

12 

11 

12 

12 

13 

11 

10 

13 

11 

12 
9.2 
9.6 

11 


0.0 

.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 

6 9.6 

6 7.2 

6Tr. 

6Tr. 

6 7.2 

614 

6 9.6 
.0 

63.6 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 

6 2.4 


27 

24 

17 

20 

22 

22 

15 

17 

27 

34 

20 

24 

20 

27 

27 

24 

19 

24 

50 

27 

17 

35 

37 

24 

9.8 

22 

32 

30 

40 

34 

40 

33 

32 

32 


5.5 
5.7 
6.1 
5.6 
5.8 
5.5 
7.3 
7.4 
6.8 
6.7 
6.0 
5.3 
5.8 
4.9 
4.7 
6.0 


0.1 

.6 
.7 
.8 
.6 
.5 
.3 
.8 
.8 
.4 
.9 
.6 
.6 
.5 
.3 
.3 
.4 
.2 
.8 
.7 
.7 
1.1 
1.6 
.2 
.9 
.0 
3.0 
.3 
1.0 
1.0 
.7 
.0 
.7 
.0 


3.0 
3.0 
1.5 
1.5 
1.8 
2.0 
3.0 
2.5 
3.0 
3.5 
3.0 
3.0 
2.8 
3.0 
2.5 
1.5 
3.0 
3.0 
1.7 
1.8 
1.4 
1.4 
1.6 
1.4 
1.2 
Tr. 
1.8 
1.7 
2.0 
2.2 
2.2 
1.6 
1.9 
1.8 


56 
77 
59 
64 
74 
72 
78 
54 
60 
70 
53 
52 
42 
55 
59 
52 
42 
45 
90 
78 
61 
51 
54 
67 
76 
53 
53 
56 
63 
58 
64 
49 
53 
61 


Ft. 
9.6 
9.0 

10.4 
9.2 
9.6 

10.8 

11.0 

11.2 
9.3 
9.3 

14.2 
9.2 
9.4 
8.4 
8.5 
8.4 

11.6 
9.5 
8.3 
8.3 
9.8 
8.2 
S.8 

7.7 
8.4 
7.6 
7.4 
9.5 
6.5 
6.8 
6.1 
10.9 
6.3 
5.3 


Me 

Per cent 

drous n 


in 

of anhy- 


172 


142 


.77 




23 
35.0 


.44 
c.9 


5.7 

S.7 


.8 
1.2 


12 
18.3 


.0 
22.6 


30 


6.0 
9.1 


.6 
1.0 


2.1 

3.2 


60 



















a Analyses Oct. 25, 1906, to May 11, 1907, by J. R. Evans; May 12 to Oct. 22, 1907, by R. B. Dole, Chase 
Palmer, and W. D. Collins. Samples collected by C. A. Maxwell in midstream from the highway bridge. 
Gage heights measured at same place. 

6 Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average. 

c Fe 2 3 . 

Though most of the analyses represent drainage from the region 
of crystalline rocks, all the streams but one traverse the Coastal Plain 
and probably are not greatly increased in mineral content by drainage 
from the sedimentary rocks. The analyses of water from Chatta- 
hoochee River at West Point, Ocmulgee River near Macon, and Savan- 
nah River near Augusta (see Tables 99-101) represent drainage essen- 
tially from silicate rocks, chiefly granite and gneiss, that contribute 
little mineral matter because of their slight solubility. 



CHEMICAL CHAKACTER OP WATERS. 



50i 



Table 102. — Mineral analyses of water from Oostanaula River near Rome. a 
[Parts per million unless otherwise stated.] 



Date 
(1906-7). 




o3 

B 


cb 

a 

<c! 
o 

a s 
.2 fl 


CD 

O 
O 


O 

35 


I 
ft 


■o? 
O 

S 




03 ^ 

■^ J 
o m 


'•£ 

o3 

.go 

03O 


5 

03 . 
cdC 

£^ 

oC 


-2 CO 


<0 

2^ 


a 


13 

> 

_ o 


.5? 










<D 
ho 
03 
M 


From — 


To— 


H 

D 


CD 

P. 

a 

02 


CD 

O 

O 


03 
O 
EH 


03 

35 


a 
o 


O 


a 

03 


O 

03 

O 


t.5 

a o 
S 


.2* 
35 


c3 


o 
O 


o 

EH 


CI 
03 
CD 


Oct. 


21 


Oct. 


30 


75 


18 


0.72 




9.6 


Tr. 


12 






0.0 


39 




n. i 


?, 


63 


Ft. 
6.1 
2-8 
3-3 
14.4 


Oct. 


31 




9 


40 


14 


.35 




23 


0.30 


12 






.0 


46 




.6 


3.0 


81 




10 
20 


Nov. 
Dec. 


19 
1 


140 
125 


120 
96 


.86 

77 




34 
34 


.40 
.6 


9.9 
11 






.0 
.0 


39 
37 




.3 

.4 


'i.T 


79 
85 


Nov. 


1.2 




Dec. 


?, 


Dec. 


11 


95 


69 


.73 




29 


.40 


9.6 






.0 


34 




6 


1.5 


70 


3.6 
6.3 


Dec. 


12 


Dec. 


21 


105 


77 


.73 




27 


.9 


8.2 


1.2 




.0 


32 




.8 


1.8 


66 


Dec. 


22 


Dec. 


31 


70 


53 


.76 




25 


.7 


11 


1.6 




.0 


44 




.4 


2.0 


82 


6.6 


Jan. 


1 


Jan. 


10 


65 


41 


.63 




22 


.8 


9.6 


1.2 




.0 


37 




.6 


1.5 


62 


8.0 


Jan. 


11 


Jan. 


20 


25 


16 


.64 




14 


.20 


11 


1.2 




.0 


37 




1.0 


1.8 


67 


3,0 


Jan. 


21 


Jan. 


31 


30 


21 


.70 




21 


.8 


13 


1.2 




.0 


44 




.2 


1.5 


75 


3.? 


Feb. 


1 


Feb. 


10 


40 


28 


.70 




18 


.6 


11 


3.2 




.0 


41 




.7 


2.0 


66 


9.0 


Feb. 


11 


Feb. 


20 


4 


3.6 


.90 




13 


.7 


11 


.8 




.0 


37 




.3 


2.0 


54 


3.6 


Feb. 


21 


Mar. 


4 


165 


124 


.75 




33 


1.3 


14 


2.0 




.0 


44 




.4 


3.0 


83 


9,7 


Mar. 


5 


Mar. 


14 


45 


38 


.84 




16 


.9 


7.6 


Tr. 




.0 


24 




.4 


2.0 


47 


6.1 


Mar. 


15 


Mar. 


24 


25 


23 


.92 




18 


1.2 


15 


1.2 




.0 


51 




.8 


1.0 


76 


4.0 




'•i 


Apr. 
Apr. 


s 


V> 


10 


.83 




19 


1.2 


11 






.0 


34 




6 


2.5 


62 


3.1 

3.4 


Apr. 


4 


13 


65 


56 


.86 




17 


1.4 


14 


3.2 




.0 






.4 


2.0 


70 


Apr. 


14 


Apr. 


23 


60 


56 


.93 




8.8 


1.4 


15 


4.0 




.0 


59 




.2 


2.0 


68 


3.6 


Apr. 
May 


'H 


May 
May 


'•> 


'>m 


236 


.91 




7.8 


1.6 


13 






.0 


51 







3 


61 


4.7 
4.2 


3 


13 


220 


220 


1.00 




18 


.7 


15 


3.3 


8.8 


.0 


72 


2.6 


.8 


1.0 


100 


May 


14 


May 


23 


150 


149 


1.00 




18 


1.0 


11 


3.1 


11 


.0 


72 


4.3 


.0 


1.5 


92 


5.4 


May 


24 


June 


5 


340 


318 


.93 




29 


1.6 


12 


3.2 


11 


.0 


71 


4.3 


.6 


1.5 


120 


5.0 


June 


6 


June 


15 


200 


170 


.85 




25 


.6 




3.3 


6.0 


.0 


74 


4.8 


.0 


2.5 


90 


3.8 


June 


16 


June 


26 


180 


114 


.63 




28 


.40 


U 


4.1 


8.2 


.0 


78 


3.6 


.6 


2.0 


101 


2.4 


June 


27 


July 


7 


415 


378 


.91 




26 


1.2 


12 


3.7 


6.6 


.0 


68 


3.8 


.7 


2.0 


106 


2.9 


July 


8 


July 


17 


370 


370 


1.00 




39 


.8 


13 


3.9 


12 


.0 


78 


5.5 


.4 


2.0 


122 


2.4 


Aug. 


7 


Aug. 


16 


260 


234 


.90 




31 


Tr. 


9.6 


4.6 


13 


.0 


73 


5.1 


1.0 


1.0 


105 


1.9 


Aug. 


17 


Aug. 


26 


260 


198 


.76 




23 


Tr. 


13 


2.9 


9.4 


.0 


67 


4.8 


1.0 


.6 


87 


2.0 


Sept. 


27 


Oct. 


6 


125 


87 


.70 




47 


Tr. 


7.3 


3.2 


7.6 


.0 


51 


3.6 


.5 


1.7 


109 


2.6 


Oct. 


7 


Oct. 


17 


45 


37 


.80 


1.2 


44 


Tr. 


14 


5.0 


7.9 


.0 


74 


3.8 




1.2 


118 


1.5 


Oct. 


18 

Mes 
ent 


Oct. 
in 


28 


10 


8.8 


.88 


Tr. 


17 


Tr. 


11 


2.9 


9.1 


.0 


70 


3.3 




1.8 


81 


1.0 




128 


109 


.80 




24 


.7 


12 


2.6 


9.2 


.0 


53 


4.1 


.4 


1.8 


82 




Per c 


of anhy- 




drc 


us r 


esidue 












29.6 


61.2 


14.8 


3.2 


11.3 


32.2 




5 


.5 


2.2 










I 













a Analyses Oct. 21, 1906, to May 2, 1907, by Jas. R. Evans; May 2 to July 17, 1907, by W. D. Collins; 
Aug. 7 to Oct. 28, 1907, by R. B. Dole, Chase Palmer, and W. D. Collins. Samples collected by W. M. 
Chambers at waterworks pumping station. Gage heights measured at same place. 

b Fe 2 3 . 

Table 103. — Comparison of the average mineral content of six surf ace waters of Georgia 
with that of certain other surface waters. 



Suspended 
matter. 



Coefficient 
of fineness. 



Dissolved 
matter. 



Average of 6 river waters of Georgia 

James River, Richmond, Va 

Pearl River, Jackson, Miss 

Tennessee River, Knoxville, Tenn 

Cumberland River, Kuttawa, Ivy 

Mississippi River, Memphis, Tenn 

St. Lawrence River, Ogdensburg, N. Y 
Missouri River, Ruegg, Mo 



Parts per 

million. 

a 146 

71 

46 

156 

165 

519 

Tr. 

1,890 



0.74 
.96 
.93 
.81 
.92 
.97 



Parts per 
million. 

66 
89 
59 
122 
124 
202 
134 
346 



a Flint River omitted. 



The quantity of dissolved matter in the water of Oostanaula River 
near Rome (see Table 102) is notably greater than that in the other 
surface waters, the excess being due to solution of carbonates of 



502 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

calcium and magnesium from the old crystalline limestones and dolo- 
mites in the Oostanaula basin. Yet the mineral content is not 
especially high and is not at all comparable with that of surface waters 
of the Middle West (see Table 103) from areas underlain principally 
by limestone, because, first, a large proportion of the basin above 
Rome is occupied by silicate rocks; second, the older compact crystal- 
line limestones are dissolved by percolating waters less readily than 
later formations; third, the rocks have been thoroughly washed and 
leached by abundant rain; and, fourth, the topography favors rapid 
surface run-off instead of retention of water in contact with the min- 
eralizins: substances. 



Table 104. — Mineral analyses of water from Flint River near Albany. a 
[Parts per million unless otherwise stated.] 



Date 




£ 


a 

a 








a 
a 

CO 

d 


CO ,o 
03 ^ 


CO 

o 


S 


to 


CO 








(1906-7). 


>> 

3 


03 

a 

CD 

■d 

§ 

ft 


in 

o . 

d © 
.2 o 
o 


O 
35 

03 
O 


d 


oT 
o 

p 

.2 




3 

03 
^ • 

SO 

as 

o 


cbO 

■e.2 

03 O 


03 „ 

ccO 

|S 


o 

So 

s& 

03 


a 

a 

o 


03 " 


be 

,d 


From — 


To— 


CO 

03 

d 






a 

Eh 


3 

m 


o 
O 


55 


o 


03 

o 


03 




03 

u 


3 


B 


% 


o 


O 

Eh 


CO 


































Ft. 


Oct. 23 


Nov. 1 


120 


64 


0.53 


47 




6.8 


3.6 




0.0 


29 




1.8 


3.0 


84 


4.3 


Nov. 2 


Nov. 11 


45 


31 


.69 


19 


0.8 


11 


4.8 




.0 


51 




.4 


3.0 


80 


1.8 


Nov. 12 


Nov. 21 


17 


4 


.24 


25 


.20 


11 


Tr. 




.0 


32 




.9 


2.5 


74 


2.3 


Nov. 22 


Dec. 1 


20 


8 


.40 


27 


.30 


12 


1.2 




.0 


34 




.6 


2.0 


77 


3.0 


Dee. 2 


Dec. 11 


25 


11 


.44 


33 


.20 


12 


1.2 




.0 


37 




. / 


2.2 


90 


1.9 


Dec. 12 


Dec. 21 


35 


18 


.51 


34 


.5 


14 


1.6 




.0 


49 




.5 


2.5 


93 


2.1 


Dec. 22 


Dec. 31 


40 


17 


.42 


20 


.9 


6.0 


.8 




.0 


29 




.8 


3.0 


68 


3.8 


Jan. 1 


Jan. 11 


35 


20 


.07 


18 


.8 


6.2 


1.2 




.0 


22 




.5 


3.0 


62 


5.4 


Jan. 12 


Jan. 22 


20 


15 


.75 


22 


.10 


8.1 


.8 




.0 


34 




.8 


4.0 


63 


2.8 


Jan. 23 


Feb. 2 


12 


7 


.58 


16 


.8 


7.0 


.8 




.0 


24 




1.1 


5.5 


52 


3.0 


Feb. 2 


Feb. 11 


120 


89 


.74 


36 


.9 


5.6 


.8 




.0 


22 




.4 


2.0 


66 


7.9 


Feb. 12 


Feb. 21 


60 


53 


.88 


22 


1.1 


6.8 


.8 




.0 


22 




.7 


4.0 


70 


5.8 


Feb. 22 


Mar. 3 


65 


45 


.69 


14 


1.2 


8.4 


1.2 




.0' 


27 




.1 


2.5 


47 


3.8 


Mar. 4 


Mar. 13 


85 


64 


.75 


18 


1.4 


8.8 


1.2 




.0 


29 




.4 


3.0 


54 


5.8 


Mar. 14 


Mar. 23 


40 


36 


.90 


12 


.7 


6.4 


.8 




.0 


22 




.3 


1.5 


39 


4.1 


Mar. 24 


Apr. 2 


30 


30 


1.00 


24 


1.4 


10 


1.2 




.0 


37 




.7 


3.0 


72 


2.1 


Apr. 3 


Apr. 12 


60 


50 


.83 


19 


:8 


10 


.8 




.0 


34 




.3 


2.5 


59 


3.8 


Apr. 13 


Apr. 22 


160 


156 


.98 


23 


.9 


9.5 


2.5 




.0 


34 




.3 


2.0 


60 


3.6 


Apr. 23 


May 2 


460 


376 


.82 


27 


1.3 


9.0 


1.6 




.0 


34 




.2 


3.5 


66 


9.4 


May 3 


May 12 


560 






33 


2.1 


7.0 


1.2 




.0 


24 




.1 


2.0 


60 

67 


7 2 








Mean 


100 


5S 


.67 


24 


.86 


8.8 


1.4 


67.0 


.0 


31 


<«.0 


.6 


2.8 




Per cent of anhy- 
































drous r 










35.8 


el. S 


13.0 


2.1 


10.4 


22.8 




9.0 


.9 


4.2 



















a Analyses by J. R. Evans. Samples collected by D. W. Brosnan in midstream from the county bridge. 
Gage heights measured at same place. 
b Fluctuates between 2 and 10 parts. Average value about 7 parts. 
c Fluctuates between trace and 8 parts. Average value about 6 parts. 
d Approximate. 
« Fe20 3 . 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OE WATERS. 

Table 105. — Mineral analyses of water from Oconee River near Dublin. a 
[Parts per million unless otherwise stated.] 



503 



Date 
(1906-7). 








i 

a 










to 


03 ^ 




'•3 

03 . 


05 


O 




■n 

> 


"Si 








(4 


a 


o . 
p c3 


a 


d 




03 
O 


3 




SO 




V° 


o3q 


O 


<3?3 


<c 
















T> 


a 


.2 n 


u 


m 


Pn 


U 


'55 


Is 

O Kl 

CO 


ftH 


oS 


Sm 


c!< 


§ 


o 


03 
60 


From — 


To— 


3 
e 


P< 

P 
CD 


03 
O 

a 


03 
O 


03 

35 


a 
o 


'a 
03 
O 


a 

03 


o 

03 
O 


OS'S 

s 


"3 

CO 


03 


8 
o 


03 
O 


a 

03 

3 






































Ft. 


Oct. 18 


Oct. 


27 


55 


23 


0.42 




29 


0.6 


9.0 


1.2 




0.0 


33 




0.4 


4.0 


76 


1.4 


Oct. 28 


Nov. 


6 


75 


51 


.68 




32 


2.0 


11 


.8 









39 




.4 


4.0 


83 


.6 


Nov. 7 


Nov. 


17 


85 


28 


.33 




31 


.9 


8.8 


1.2 









32 




.7 


2.0 


68 


.8 


Nov. 18 


Nov. 


27 


85 


65 


.76 




24 


.40 


8.8 


1.2 









32 




.1 


4.0 


70 


1.9 


Nov. 28 


Dec. 


7 


80 


52 


.65 




26 


.5 


9.6 


1.6 









34' 




.7 


4.5 


78 


.9 


Dec. 8 


Dec. 


17 


155 


94 


.61 




31 


.7 


12 








n 


49 




9 


4.8 


89 


1,7 


Dec. 19 


Jan. 


3 


160 


125 


.78 




28 


1.2 


8.3 


.8 









27 




.8 


5.0 


83 


3.1 


Jan. 4 


Jan. 


15 


105 


85 


.81 




20 


.5 


5.7 


Tr. 









20 




.4 


4.0 


61 


3.4 


Jan. 16 


Jan. 


26 


38 


32 


.84 


., 


30 


.9 


14 


4.4 









51 




1.1 


4.2 


94 


1.4 


Jan. 27 


Feb. 
Feb. 


6 

18 


80 
40 


59 
36 


.74 
.90 




26 
22 


.8 
1.0 


12 
5.6 












56 
20 




1.2 

.5 


3.0 
5.0 


85 
60 


4 H 


Feb. 7 


1.2 




7.5 


Mar. 2 


Mar. 


11 


240 


204 


.85 




34 


1.1 


7.6 


Tr. 









27 




.6 


2.5 


69 


6.9 


Mar. 12 


Mar. 


21 


110 


100 


.91 




16 


.6 


9.6 


1.2 









32 




.4 


2.0 


50 


3.2 


Mar. 22 


Mar. 


31 


35 


28 


.80 




24 


1.6 


12 


1.6 









41 




.3 


4.0 


73 


1.6 


Apr. 1 


Apr. 


10 


75 


65 


.87 




20 


1.3 


9.6 


1.6 









32 




.2 


6.5 


64 


1.6 


Apr. 11 


Apr. 


24 


185 


176 


.95 




20 


2.4 


10 


2.4 









34 




.4 


5.0 


66 


3.3 


Apr. 25 


May 


4 


95 


75 


.79 




16 


1.8 


7.0 


1.6 









24 




.3 


2.5 


48 


5.4 


May 5 


May 


14 


200 


206 


1.03 




18 


2.5 


10 


1.6 









34 




.2 


4.5 


61 


4.0 


May 15 


May 


24 


100 


69 


.69 


6. i 


IS 


.42 


7.8 


2.2 


8.4 




II 


44 


5.4 


4.0 


2.2 


70 


1.9 


May 25 


June 


3 


350 


232 


.66 


15 


21 


Tr. 


7.7 


2.0 


11 







43 


6.2 


1.5 


2.6 


68 


1.4 


June 4 


June 


13 


375 


220 


.59 


16 


22 


Tr. 


6.6 


2.2 


7.9 







45 


5.6 


1.0 


1.9 


69 


.9 


June 14 


June 


23 


400 


275 


.69 


16 


11 


Tr. 


6.3 


2.1 


8.1 







38 


6.0 


Tr. 


1.4 


51 


1.0 


June 24 


July 


3 


230 


266 


1.16 


12 


10 


Tr. 


6.6 


3.2 


8.3 







34 


8.1 


.6 


1.8 


54 


2.4 


July 4 


July 


14 


350 


354 


1.01 


15 


15 


Tr. 


6.6 


1.6 


9.4 







37 


4.9 


3.2 


2.4 


57 


1.6 


July 15 


July 


24 


400 


233 


.58 


9.6 


13 


Tr. 


7.1 


1.9 


6.2 


64 


8 


27 


7.5 


.6 


3.1 


62 


.8 


July 25 


Aug. 


2 


650 


504 


.77 


28 


17 


Tr. 


6.3 


1.9 


8.1 







34 


6.3 


2.3 


3.4 


62 


2.7 


Aug. 4 


Aug. 


13 


400 


266 


.66 


19 


14 


.02 


5.9 


1.2 


7.9 







32 


6.1 


2.0 


2.9 


55 


.9 


Aug. 15 


Aug. 


24 


425 


460 


1.08 


34 


21 


Tr. 


7.2 


.9 


10 







40 


5.4 


4.2 


3.1 


74 


2.0 


Aug. 26 


Sept. 


7 


290 


205 


.71 


16 


18 


Tr. 


6.9 


1.1 


7.9 







40 


5.0 


.7 


2.4 


62 


.7 


Sept. 8 


Sept. 


17 


400 


328 


.82 


24 


18 


Tr. 


6.4 


1.1 


12 







41 


5.5 


1.0 


2.6 


63 


1.0 


Sept. 28 


Oct. 


7 


350 


379 


1.08 


15 


16 


.02 


11 


1.7 


8.3 







54 


7.4 


1.7 


4.9 


84 


3.9 


Oct. 8 


Oct. 


17 


40 






3.5 


15 


.6 


8.5 


1.9 


9.2 







50 


7.5 


Tr. 


2.8 




.4 












208 


171 


.78 




21 


.68 


8.5 


1.6 


8.8 







37 


6.2 


1.0 


3.4 


68 




Per cent 


of anhv- 






sidue. 












30.2 


cl.4 


12.2 


2.3 


12.6 


26 


1 




8.9 


1.4 


4.9 

























a Analyses Oct. 18, 1906, to May 14, 1907, by J. R. Evans; May 15 to Oct. 17, 1907, by R. B. Dole, Chase 
Palmer, and W. D. Collins. Samples collected byW.E. Martin in midstream from the highway bridge. 
Gage heights measured at same place. 

6 Abnormal; computed as HCO in the average. 

c Fe 2 3 . 

The waters of Flint River near Albany and Oconee River near 
Dublin (see Tables 104, 105) are essentially alike in respect to quan- 
tity and proportion of dissolved matter and show very little increase 
of mineral content as a result of seepage from the sedimentary 
formations. As no reliable series of analyses of water from rivers 
nearer the coast are available it is impossible to state the exact 
effect of drainage from the later sediments, which contain some 
calcareous material; but in view of the relatively slight differences 
between the waters at Albany and Dublin and those from areas of 
crystalline rocks it may safely be concluded that the proportions of 
calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate in surface waters nearer the 
coast are somewhat higher, but that the proportions of other con- 
stituents are not materially different from those of waters whose 
analyses are recorded. 



504 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The streams frequently carry large quantities of suspended matter, 
and a high proportion of it is very fine. The relatively low average 
content of suspended matter recorded for Flint River is due to the 
fact that sampling of that stream was not carried through the muddy 
period. Loads of finely divided silt are characteristic of rivers in 
the Southeastern States and are troublesome in purification plants, 
where, besides increasing the quantity of suspended matter to be 
removed, they necessitate the use of a coagulant, as the fine silts 
pass through slow sand filters and cloud the effluents. Therefore 
rapid sand filtration preceded by coagulation with aluminum sul- 
phate has been generally adopted throughout these States in prefer- 
ence to slow sand filtration. The quantity and the coarseness of the 
silts might be expected to increase in proportion to the discharge and 
the velocity of the streams, but such relations are by no means regu- 
lar. The crests of floods after long periods of low water carry heavy 
loads of suspended matter, but the loads decrease very rapidly after 
the crests have passed, and secondary floods do not usually bear 
proportionate quantities. Because of this and other irregularities 
the relations of discharge, load, and fineness of suspended matter in 
these streams can not be mathematically expressed. The same 
comment applies also to relations between discharge and dissolved 
solids, for increased discharge may be accompanied by increased or 
decreased content of dissolved matter. 

Table 106. — Average composition of the water of rivers in Georgia. 





Parts per million. 


Percentage composilion of 
anhydrous residue. 














, 








u 


, 






03 


03 


03 


03 


PI 


,a 


03 


03 


<D 


<u 


<; 


03 




a 


a 


0> 


Pi 


03 


R 


PI 


PI 




PI 




P! 




<*> . 
t> 03 


> j 


*i 


u 


< 

ol 


U 


> 03 









03 
O 
PI 


u . 




s. 

■SB 

o3<) 

1 


03 

I 




+^ 


tfg. 

<&3 


pj 

> 

B 


fe.g 

I 


03 <! 

1 


SI 

1 


§1 

A** 

03 +a 
03 


03 

a 

03 


>> 

g 03 

-4-3 


>3 


<o 
PI 









A 












A 











ai 











Ph 





02 





O 


O 


h 


O 




172 


230 


185 


128 


100 


20s 
















142 


174 


136 


109 


58 


171 
















.77 
23 


.72 
26 


.71 
20 


.80 

24 


.67 
24 


.78 
21 














Silica (Si0 2 ) 


35.0 


39.8 


38.0 


29.6 


35.8 


30.2 


Iron(Fe) 


.44 


.9 


.47 


.7 


.86 


.68 


o.9 


a?, 


a\ 3 


al ? 


al.8 


ol 4 


Calcium (Ca) 


5.7 


6.3 


4.8 


12 


8.8 


8.5 


8 7 


9.6 


9.1 


14 8 


13.0 


12.2 




.8 


1.2 


.8 


2.6 


1.4 


1.6 


1.2 


1 8 


1 6 


3.2 


? 1 


2.3 


Sodium and potassium (Na+K) . 


12 


8.3 


7.7 


9.2 


7.0 


8.8 


IS. 3 


12.7 


14.6 


11.3 


10.4 


12.6 




.0 


.0 


.0 


.0 


.0 


.0 


22.6 


21.2 


21.5 


32.2 


22.8 


26.1 




30 


28 


23 


53 


31 


37 
















6.0 


4.9 


4.5 


4.1 


6.0 


6.2 


9.1 


7.5 


8.5 


5.6 


9.0 


8.9 




.6 


.7 


.7 


.4 


.6 


1.0 


1 


1 1 


1 4 


.5 


.9 


1.4 


Chlorine (CI) 


2.1 


2.8 


2.1 


1.8 


2.8 


3.4 


3.2 


4.3 


4,0 


2.2 


4.2 


4.9 




60 


69 


52 


82 


67 


68 





























a Fe20 3 . 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OP WATERS. 505 

The economic value of the waters of the long rivers of Georgia is 
indicated in Tables 103 and 106. In Table 103 the average condi- 
tion of the six Georgia waters is compared with that of certain other 
streams. After the heavy loads of silt have been removed they 
are excellent for general industrial use, being soft, usually only 
slightly colored, and low in scale-forming and foaming constituents. 
The free carbonic-acid gas that they contain may cause corrosion 
under some conditions of boiler operation, but that trouble can be 
obviated by treatment with appropriate amounts of milk of lime, by 
which the gas is neutralized and precipitated. Proper filtration fur- 
nishes water low in mineral content, generally low in iron, soft, and 
otherwise satisfactory for municipal use. 

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE GROUND WATERS. 
ANALYTICAL RESULTS. 

About 170 analyses of ground waters from the Coastal Plain of the 
State have been tabulated in the county descriptions of this report. 
More than a third of the analyses were made by Dr. Edgar Everhart 
of Atlanta especially for this report, and nearly half of the others 
were made by him in connection with earlier investigations. The 
remainder, made by various chemists, have been quoted from several 
publications. A large number of analyses previously published in 
hypothetical combinations and in oxide form 1 have been recalculated 
to ionic form in parts per million, so that they may be more easily 
compared with one another and with later analyses. To obviate pos- 
sible misunderstanding of the method of recomputing these it may be 
stated that "free carbon dioxide" reported in the original analyses 
includes part of what is now more commonly known as the "half- 
bound carbon dioxide," and the calculations have been so made as 
to report free carbon dioxide only when the content of carbon dioxide 
exceeds that necessary to satisfy the bases with the bicarbonate 
radicle. The computations indicate that relatively few ground waters 
of Georgia contain normal carbonate (C0 3 ), or, in other words, that 
nearly all contain free dissolved carbon dioxide, and though the car- 
bonate radicle has been reported in some analyses where the radicles 
involving carbon dioxide were not differentiated, it is entirely prob- 
able that all the combined carbon dioxide in such waters is present as 
the bicarbonate (HC0 3 ) and that the normal carbonate is absent. 

The results of the analyses in this paper are stated in parts per 
million, and though the amounts of water used for examination were 
measured by volume the mineral content is generally so low that the 
figures may be considered to represent milligrams per kilogram or 
parts per million by weight. Simplicity of computation, avoidance 

i McCallie, S. W., Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, 1908. 



506 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

of fractions, and certainty of the basic unit make this decimal system 
especially satisfactory. As metric weights are invariably used by 
water analysts expression of the results in grams per gallon or a similar 
unit involves subsequent recalculation. Reporting the results in 
parts per million has been generally adopted by sanitary and research 
chemists and by many technical chemists, and the exclusive employ- 
ment of this unit industrially is delayed only by disinclination to 
adapt mental processes to the decimal standard. 

For the convenience of those who may desire to transform the 
results to other forms of expression it may be stated that multiplying 
the number of parts per million by 0.058 gives the equivalent in 
grains per United States gallon of 231 cubic inches; multiplying it 
by 0.07 gives the equivalent in grains per Imperial gallon; and multi- 
prying it by 0.00833 gives the equivalent in pounds per thousand 
gallons. 

The analytical methods commonly employed in examining water 
permit the estimation of the elements and radicles present, the deter- 
mination of the total amount of mineral matter in solution, and the 
more or less approximate separation of the incrusting from the non- 
incrusting constituents. Further than this, however, ordinary 
chemical tests give little knowledge regarding the chemical composi- 
tion of mineral waters, and consequently the exact amounts of the 
different salts in solution are largely conjectural. Though such salts 
as sodium chloride, potassium carbonate, and magnesium sulphate 
are probably present, they are not determined as such, and their 
exact amounts can not be computed from the analytical data. The 
ionic form of stating the analyses — that is, stating the radicles pres- 
ent — has been adopted in this report because it gives fact and not 
opinion. The form is entirely practical and presents the actual 
results for the consideration and criticism of persons other than those 
making the tests, besides making it possible properly to compare 
analyses performed by different chemists. 

The waters have been classified in respect to their character and 
value for various technical uses by application of formulas and ratings 
already discussed. (See pp. 471 to 487.) Though the ratings reflect 
the result of experience in Georgia and elsewhere they are largely 
opinions useful in describing the waters to persons unaccustomed to 
interpreting analyses, and consequently they should be sharply differ- 
entiated from the figures of the analyses, which express facts regard- 
ing the mineral constituents. 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OP WATERS. 507 

RELATION OF QUALITY TO WATER-BEARING STRATA 
PRINCIPAL WATER-BEARING STRATA. 

The composition of the water-bearing rocks is almost everywhere 
the chief determining factor in the composition of ground waters, 
and this is generally true throughout Georgia. Because of this an 
attempt has been made to ascertain the relation between the quality 
of the waters and the strata from which they come by grouping 
waters from the same formation in so far as Stephenson and Veatch 
have differentiated the waters in that respect. The principal water- 
bearing strata and their lithologic characteristics have been plainly 
summarized in the table of geologic formations (p. 57). Those con- 
cerning the composition of whose waters appreciable information is 
at hand comprise the arkosic sands of the Lower Cretaceous, the 
Ripley formation of the Upper Cretaceous, the Midway formation, 
the Claiborne group, and the Jackson formation of the Eocene, and 
the Vicksburg, Chattahoochee, and Alum Bluff formations of the 
Oligocene, and undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene deposits. 
Other formations yield water, but the number of analyses of water 
from them is insufficient for proper discussion. In addition to the 
analyses grouped as described, the Eocene and the Oligocene are 
represented by a few analyses of waters whose source can not be 
assigned to a single formation either because the waters are derived 
from several strata or because their exact source is unknown; these 
analyses have therefore been grouped in two tables, one of waters 
from undifferentiated Eocene strata and the other of waters from 
undifferentiated Oligocene strata. A third table comprises analyses 
of waters from extensive but unnamed deposits now classified as 
" undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive." (See p. 132.) 

Consideration of the conditions under which samples of water are 
collected makes it evident that definite conclusions regarding the 
chemical composition of the waters from the several water-bearing- 
strata must be drawn with extreme caution. It is by no means cer- 
tain that water from a well is a fair average sample from a single 
sharply differentiated stratum ; indeed it is certain that the water in 
many wells in Georgia comes from two or more beds. As the primary 
purpose of the well driller is to obtain an abundant supply he usually 
does not attempt to shut out any water he may encounter, except 
possibly that near the surface if it is known to be polluted. Conse- 
quently a deep well that penetrates more than one water-bearing 
stratum is likely to yield a mixture, and though one kind of water 
may predominate the other kinds modify its quality by decreasing 
or increasing its mineral content. Even if all the supplies but one 
were excluded, during construction subsequent deterioration of the 
casing may cause holes and cracks through which they could enter. 



508 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

An instance of such admixture is afforded by conditions at Grinnell, 
Iowa, where highly mineralized water from the Carboniferous has 
entered well casings through cracks and mingled with the more 
desirable supplies derived from underlying formations. 1 It is possi- 
ble also that wells drawing water from one stratum may not afford 
samples that are typical of that stratum over a wide area, as seepage 
from other strata may cause local changes in character. The water 
of shallow wells is intermittently modified by the diluting effect of 
rain, and deep wells may be indirectly but appreciably affected by 
similar dilution. Last but not by any means least important is the 
recognized fact that the draft on a well affects the quality of the 
water, for it has been observed that water from most new wells con- 
tains more mineral matter than that from the same wells after they 
have been used for some time or after they have been subject to 
heavy draft. Long-continued heavy pumping of some wells, how- 
ever, has resulted in increased mineral content, this phenomenon 
being particularly observed in wells near the seacoast, where exces- 
sive draft has lowered the water plane and thereby permitted entrance 
of sea water. After consideration of all these factors that may 
influence mineral content it can readily be understood that state- 
ments regarding the quality of the waters should not be interpreted 
too literally, and it is not surprising to find great differences in the 
chemical composition of supplies apparently from the same bed. 

LOWER CRETACEOUS SERIES. 

The Lower Cretaceous is not differentiated into formations. It 
outcrops in a narrow belt extending across the State from Augusta 
southwestward to Columbus, and it rests on the crystalline rocks. It 
consists of coarse-grained arkosic sands with lenses of clay, some of 
which approach kaolin in composition. As the sands are composed 
largely of angular unweathered or slightly weathered fragments of 
silicate rocks they may be expected to yield relatively little mineral 
matter to percolating waters, and this expectation is corroborated to 
a great extent by the relatively few analyses in Table 107. The 
waters from the Lower Cretaceous near Macon, Walden, Toomsboro, 
and Tennille are very low. in mineral content, and those from the 
wells at Gibson and Oconee appear to be normal. The town well at 
Sandersville undoubtedly draws from the marls and limestones of the 
Claiborne group (Eocene), which overlies the Cretaceous at that place, 
as well as from the arkosic sands, and Mr. Cohen's well probably 
produces a similar mixture; consequently the waters from those two 
can hardly be considered fair representatives of supplies from the 
Lower Cretaceous, but may be cited as examples of waters altered 

1 Norton, W. n., and others, Underground water resources of Iowa: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply 
Paper 293, p. 94, 1912. 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATEES. 



509 



by supplies from overlying strata. The well at Columbus is said to 
be entirely in the Lower Cretaceous except for 20 or 30 feet of over- 
lying Pleistocene (see p. 354) , and it is therefore surprising to find the 
water in it so distinctly different from that of other wells drawing 
from the arkosic sands. Possibly the mineral content of this and 
similar wells at Columbus would be decreased by increased and con- 
tinued draft. 

In general the waters from the arkosic sands of the Lower Creta- 
ceous may be said to range in mineral content from 20 to 130 parts 
per million and in hardness from 5 to 90 parts. They contain too 
small quantities of scale-forming ingredients to render treatment 
necessary before their use in boilers, and, except a few that are high 
in iron, they are excellent for domestic use. Next to purified river 
water they afford the softest and most desirable supplies for domestic 
and general industrial use in the State. The figures in the lowest 
line of Table 107 represent a roughly approximate average intended 
to convey numerically a very general idea of the character of water 
from the arkosic sands of the Lower Cretaceous in Georgia. 

Table 107. — Chemical corn-position of water from the Lower Cretaceous arkosic sands. 
[Parts per million except as otherwise designated.] 



County. 


Location. 


Owner or source. 


Depth 
of well. 


Depth to 
principal 
water- 
bearing 
stratum. 


Date of col- 
lection. 




Gibson 

Oconee 




Feet. 

151 

140 

436 

400± 

990 

315 


Feet. 
150-151 
120-140 

70-325? 
400± 
380-426 
285, 315 


May 31, 1911 
Apr. 24, 1911 


Washington 


do 


Do 




...do... 


Do 


do 


L. D. Cohen 


Apr. 24, 1911 
Do. 


Do 


Tennille 




do 


Dec. 16, 1912 


Bibb 


Macon, 7 miles 

east of. 
do 


Mary R. Edwards (White Elk 
Spring). 




Do 






Dec. 30, 1912 


Do 


Near Walden.. 
Columbus 


J. B. Willis 


265 

282 


250-265 
100-232 






Well No. 35 of proposed city 
supply. 


Mar. 27,1911 





County. 


Analyst. 


6 

m 

03 
W 


a 

o 


IS 
o 

a 

.g 
o 


a 




"o3 

a 

-5 

o 


M 

a 

03 
O 


<D 

-5 

03 

eg. 

o 
£1 

03 


03 

oW 

03 

s 


■3 

03 
(-. . 

p. 
m 




do 


41 

16 

27 

38 

19 

16 
1.5 
6.0 
8.8 

52 


4.0 

1.0 

olO 

.2 

1.0 

6 4.0 

.18 

.5 

a2.5 

1.0 


9.0 

29 

75 

60 
4.0 

18 
1.3 
1.5 
1.6 

37 


1.0 
3.0 
2.7 
6.0 
2.0 
2.4 

.2 
1.2 

.5 
6.8 


1 


S 


1.9 

.2 
1.0 


6.6 

125 
.0 
.0 
.0. 

.0 

3.9 

.0 


74 
110 

234 

12 

54 
5.2 
5.0 

88 


6.0 


Washington 


14 
9.6 | 
8.0 
6.0 
8.0 
2.0 | 

3.5 
1.6 | 
47 


8.0 


Do 


do 


4.2 


Do 


..do . 


5.0 


Do 


...do 


Tr. 


Wilkinson 


...do. . 


13 


Bibb 


J. F. Sellers. 


3.1 


Do 


Edgar E verhart 

A. M. Lloyd 


4.0 


Do 


1.2 


Muscogee 




75 






Approximate 


20 




10 


o 


10 





45 


5 


average, c 







a Fe 2 03+Al 2 3 . 



i Fe+AI, 



c Three strongest waters omitted. 



510 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



Table 107. — Chemical composition of Water from the Lower Cretaceous arkosic sands — 

Continued. 





© 




T3 


a 


.3 


.s 


o 


© 




a 




•a 




"o 


m 


1~. O 




o 
© 






© 










© e 












o 












& fl 




O 


o 




-a 


County. 


o 


© 


"3 

-3 


"So 

O 


■s .a 

1.3 


■2.2 
•5 

© OJ 

"5 


si 


u 

2 


3 
© 


u © 










03 




£> 


-O 






















































& 


o 


^ 


Eh 


Ph 


Ph 


~ 


(y 


^ 


a 




0.1 
Tr. 


4.0 
3.5 


121 
134 


27 
85 


70 
110 


40 
40 


N.C. 
N. C. 


Good . 
Fair . . 


Low .. 
do.... 


Fair 


Washington 


Good. 


Do 




6.8 
3.5 


C264 
234 


199 

175 


250 
220 


30 

20 


N.C. 
N.C. 


Poor.. 
...do.. 


Mod.. 
...do.. 




Do 


2 


Good. 


Do 


.5 


12 


65 


18 


30 


15 


(?) 


Good . 




Do. 




Tr. 


5.0 

.8 

2.0 


94 

<2 16 

21 


55 
4.0 
8.7 


70 
5 
15 


20 
5 
10 


(?) 
N.C. 
(?) 


...do.. 

...do 

...do.. 


...do.. 

do.. 

...do.. 


Do 


Bibb 


Do 


Do 


5.0 


Do. 


Do 




l.G 
38 


«23 

314 


6.0 
120 


15 

170 


10 
130 


N.C. 
(?) 


...do 
Fair. . 


do.. 
Mod.. 


Do 


Muscogee 


.0 


Do 










5 


75 


35 








average./ 















a Computed. 

b N. C.=noncorrosive; (?) =uncertain or doubtful. 

c P0 4 trace. 



d Al 0.2 part; free C0 2 0.8 part. 
e Volatile matter 0.5 part. 
/Three strongest waters omitted. 



UPPER CRETACEOUS SERIES. 

The Upper Cretaceous includes two water-bearing formations, the 
Bip]ey at the top and the Eutaw at the bottom, but, as few data are 
available regarding the quality of the water from the Eutaw, the 
following discussion is confined chiefly to the waters derived from the 
Ripley, which comprises the Providence sand member at the top, the 
typical marine beds in the middle, and the Cusseta sand member at 
the bottom. The marine beds consist of calcareous, micaceous sand, 
sandy clay, and shell marl with nodular layers of calcareous sand or 
sandy limestone, but the Providence and Cusseta members, form 
which most wells are supplied, consist essentially of sand and clay 
with little or no calcareous material. Thus the waters come into con- 
tact with relatively little calcareous material, though they are gen- 
erally of the calcium carbonate type and somewhat higher in mineral 
content than those in the arkosic sands of the Lower Cretaceous. 

Wells draw from these beds in the area between Chattahoochee 
and Ocmulgee rivers southeast of Columbus and north of Albany. 
Twenty-eight analyses of water that come wholly or chiefly from the 
Ripley, according to the studies of Stephenson and Veatch, are 
grouped in Table 108 by counties from north to south. Their waters 
range wddely in mineral content and in hardness. Those in Houston 
County of which analyses are recorded are much like those from the 
Lower Cretaceous arkosic sands. Over the greater part of the area 
where the Ripley is entered, however, the waters range from 90 to 
250 parts in dissolved solids and from 20 to 140 parts in hardness. 
Most of them are low in iron, chlorine, and sulphate, the latter 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 511 

radicle exceeding 25 parts in only two waters. The range in mineral 
content is most probably due to differences in the lithologic character 
of the water-bearing strata and to differences in the rate of diffusion 
from overlying strata. As the beds of the Ripley comprise sands, 
clays, and marls not uniformly distributed either geographically or 
stratigraphically local differences in mineralization may be expected; 
thick beds of sand containing little calcareous material would yield 
soft waters, whereas beds of sand containing much marl would yield 
hard waters. Tertiary strata 20 to 500 feet thick, including impure 
limestones and marl, overlie the greater part of the area where wells 
draw from the Ripley, and entrance of water from these overlying 
beds either by seepage or through intentional or accidental perfora- 
tions of the casings could markedly alter the character of the supply. 
The water of the springs near Lumpkin, which is exceptionally low 
in mineral content, comes from the Providence sand member of the 
Ripley. In the same county, two wells 334 and 425 feet deep, 
which yield waters that are similar to each other and are much more 
strongly mineralized than the spring water, are believed to be sup- 
plied chiefly from the Ripley, which is overlain by the marls and lime- 
stones of the Midway formation. Well No. 4, at Americus, the prin- 
cipal water-bearing stratum of which is between 962 and 992 feet, 
yields water similar to that of well No. 1 and probably derives most 
of its supply from the Ripley. (See analysis, p. 400.) No explana- 
tion is apparent for the high mineral content of water from the 1,320- 
foot stratum of city well No. 2 at Albany, which differs essentially 
from all other waters from the Cretaceous of Georgia that have been 
analyzed. The upper strata of the same well, assigned to the Ripley, 
yield normal water. The only other well whose water approaches it 
in character is the 350-foot well at Eufaula, Ala. 

The lowest three lines of Table 108 give the approximate average 
composition of waters from the Ripley and roughly the range of their 
constituents. In estimating these amounts the analyses of water 
from the 1,320-foot stratum at Albany, the 350-foot well at Eufaula, 
and the springs near Lumpkin have been omitted, because they are so 
noticeably different from the others. The figures representing average 
and range of constituents should therefore be interpreted broadly as 
numerical indications of conditions revealed by the analyses. The 
average represents especially conditions in the more porous sandy 
strata of the Ripley formation^ as there is some evidence that the 
typical marine beds yield more strongly mineralized waters. 

Most of the waters of the Ripley are fit for domestic use, being mod- 
erate in mineral content and not too hard, though some are high 
enough in iron to taste unpleasant and to stain fabrics washed in 
them. The waters are low in foaming ingredients and probably non- 
corrosive in boilers, though the hydrogen sulphide reported in so 



512 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



many waters may cause trouble. The scale-forming ingredients 
range from quantities too small to cause appreciable deposits to 
quantities that might profitably be removed by softening plants before 
the waters are used in boilers. 

Table 108. — Chemical composition of water from Ripley formation ( Upper Cretaceous). 
[Parts per million except as otherwise designated.] 



County. 



Location. 



Owner or source. 



Depth 
of well. 



Depth to 
principal 
water- 
bearing 
stratum. 



Date of col- 
lection. 



Houston. 
Do.. 



Do. 
Do. 

Macon. . 
Do. 
Do. 



Do. 
Marion . 



Schley.. 
Sumter . 

Crisp 

Stewart . 

Do.. 
Do.. 



Terrell 

Do 

Dougherty 

Do 

Do 

Do 

Calhoun... 

Do 

Do 

Early 

Clay 

'Do.... 

Barbour... 



Fort Valley 

Myrtle, li miles northeast 
of. 

Perry 

Perry, 4f miles southwest 
of.' 

Montezuma 

do 

Montezuma, 6 miles north 
of. 

Oglethorpe 

Buena Vista, 1 mile north- 
west of. 

Ellaville 

Americus 

Cordele 

Lumpkin, 1 mile south- 
west of. 

Richland 

Lumpkin, 3J miles east of 
south of. 

Dawson 

do 

Albany 

do 

Albany, 201 Commerce St 

Albany 

Arlington 

Edison 

Leary, 4 miles south of. . . 

Blakely 

Fort Gaines 



Town well No. 2 

Norwood Spring 

Town well 

Southern Mortgage Co. 



City well 

City wells 

C. L. De Vaughn 



Feet. 
400 



Feet. 



Town well . 
City spring. 



Town well 

City well No. 1. 

Town well 

Town springs . . 



138 
381 

375 
500 
125 

500 



136-138 
376-381 

375 
500 
125 

500 



600 
337 
735 



Town well 

C. H. Humber. 



Eufaula, Ala., c 1 
southeast of. 



mile 



New town well 

Old town well 

City well No. 2 

do 

City well 

Atlantic Ice & Coal Co. 

Town well 

do 

Harper Daniel 

Town well 

do 

do 

Moulthrop's brickyard. 



425 
334 

447 

660 

1,320 

1,320 

840 

710 

1,173 

563 

77S 

812 

650 

264 

350 



a 660-710 
6 1,320 
840 
660 
640 
550 
650 
812 



May 20,1911 
Do. 



May 30,1911 

Apr. 21,1911 

Do. 

Apr. 20,1911 

Jan. 24,1913 

Apr. 19,1911 

Apr. IS, 1911 

May 5, 1911 

Mar. 28,1911 

Jan. 13,1913 

Mar. 29,1911 



June 10,1911 
Apr. 1, 1911 



May 
May 
May 



1,1911 
5,1911 
8, 1911 



264 
20-350 



June 5, 1911 



County. 


Analyst. 


o 

33 

m 


0} 

a 
o 
1— 1 


o 

a 

o 


"So 

§ 
03 


a 

.a 
3 

o 

CO 


g 

a 

a 

S 

o 


"jo 

"3 

-SO 
o 


■3 

C3 . 

5 


"3 

03 

«o 

a 
m 






29 

5.5 

8.5 
10 
42 
40 
20 

2 

5.4 
23 
16 
39 

4.0 
24 
23 
27 
23 


3.0 
1.5 
5.5 
2.0 
.4 
d3.1 
18 

.2 
5 

.4 
1.2 
Tr. 
1.1 
4 

.4 


2.0 
2.0 
4.4 
4.0 

14 

13 
6.4 
6.7 
5.6 

17 

46 

46 
2.0 

47 

50 

39 

43 


1.0 
1.0 
1.3 
1.0 
2.0 
1.5 
1.6 
3.2 
6.8 
4 

2.0 
5.2 
.5 
4.4 
4.0 
6.0 
3.4 


5 


n 


0.O 


12 
10 


5.0 


Do 


do 


3.0 
6.1 | Tr. 

4.0 

6.0 
22 | 5.3 

8.0 
40 
21 

9 

5.0 

5.8 

5.0 

7.2 
14 
14 
7.6 1 1.4 







7.0 


Do 


W. H. Hollingshead 


7.8 


Do 







24 

50 

35 

38 

10 

12 

25 

171 

195 

12 

178 

198 

176 

120 


9.0 




do 


5.0 


Do 


....do 








12 


Do... 


...do... 





Do 


H. C. White 


67 




E dgar E verhart 

do 














Tr. 


Schley 


48 


Sumter 


do 


Tr. 




...do... 


6.4 


Stewart 


....do 


Tr. 


Do 


do 


11 


Do 


....do 


12 


Terrell 


do 


12 


Do 


do 


24. 



« Second and principal water-bearing stratum. 
t> Third water-bearing stratum. 



c Entered under Quitman County. 
d Fe 2 03+Al 2 03. 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 



513 



Table 108. — Chemical composition of water fron Ripley formation ( Upper Cretaceous) — 

Continued. 



















_2 


-3 


CD 












a 




M 


t3 


03 • 


T3 






























a 














County. 


Analyst. 


O 

35 


"5? 
ft 


a 

a 


3 
'% 


g 


a 

3 


S3 


03O 

oiri 


ad 

-gco 




















U CD 


A 






a 


a 


o 


SjO 






A 


S-3 


ft 






33 


1— 1 


03 
Q 


a 


o 
m 


ft 


03 
O 


m 


3 
CO 


Dougherty 


H. C.White 


9.3 


a 2. 6 


46 


1.9 


2.4 




140 


7.1 


Do 




14 


al.8 


4.3 


1.8 


463 j 29 


576 




1.4 


Do... 


do 


22 
16 
25 
17 
18 
8.0 


4.0 

1.0 

.4 

.2 

.6 

a. 7 


5.0 
13 
10 
37 

44 
5.4 


3.0 
6.8 
3.0 
2.0 
5.0 
2.0 


60 
41 
57 
8.0 
17 
42 1 9.1 


7.0 

.0 

10 

2.0 

7.0 

.0 


160 
178 
150 
134 
190 
114 


25 


Do... 


...do 


14 




...do... 


12 


Do 


do 


10 


Do 


do 


8.0 


Early 


do 


11 


Clay 


do 


16 
30 
16 


a 3. 6 

Tr. 

61.9 


7.0 
10 
3.5 


1.4 

Tr. 

.8 


76 | 9. 1 

67 
137 1 3.0 


98 
2.0 


190 
351 


9.4 


Do 


do 


11 




Pratt Laboratory 


5.2 








20 


3 


20 


3 


20 




120 


10 


Approximate range 




















Highest 




40 


20 


50 


10 


80 




200 


70 




2 


Tr. 


2 


Tr. 


3 




10 


Tr. 









County. 


© 

03^ 


1 

o 


eg 

[o 

-3 

03 

<dO 

"§ft 

A^ 

ft 

o 

A 

ft 


u 

03 o3 

> 


T3 
CD 

> 

o 

m S 
"el's 

"c3 
O 
EH 


C3 

V,6 

■S3 
a 

■oS 
O 
ft 


a u 

^ . 

cb P. 
"oa-S 

-2fcb 

-o a 

03 - H 

.g M 

It A 
ft 


M 

.3 
U . 

03 w 

•2H 

a 

CD'S 

■§&> 

J3.S 
O 

ft 


It 

o 
cd 

°Ou 
Si 

03 
A 
O 

ft 


CD 

'o 
A 

t- . 

3 
>> 

■3 
3 

0? 


+3 
a 

a 


'a 

M 

CD 

PI 

3 


c3 

1 

a 

CD 

A 

O 


8 

a 


-a . 

hi * 

>> 

"03 

3 

& 


Houston 


0.5 
.2 


5.0 
5.0 
2.2 
4.5 
4.0 
6.8 
2.5 

27 

20 
4 

3.5 
5.5 
2.5 
4.0 
3 

3.0 
8.2 
3.6 

69 

4.0 
3.5 
10 
4.0 

7.5 
14 
20 
12 
14 






63 

40 
e57 

43 
110 
/138 
132 
158 
103 

92 
170 
261 


9 

9 

16 

14 

43 

39 

23 

30 

42 

59 

123 

136 

7 

135 

141 

122 

121 

123 

18 

25 
60 
37 
101 
130 
22 
23 
25 
12 


40 

15 

20 

20 

90 

80 

40 

30 

30 

80 

160 

180 

10 

170 

180 

150 

160 

150 

30 

40 
70 
60 
130 
160 
30 
40 
60 
30 


15 
10 
15 
10 
15 
70 
20 
110 
60 
25 
15 
15 
15 
20 
40 
40 
25 
5 

1,330 

160 
110 
150 
20 
50 
140 
230 
180 
380 


N.C. 
(?) 


Good.. 
...do 
...do.. 


Low . . 
...do.. 


Na-C0 3 


Good. 


Do 






Do. 


Do 


2.1 




do .. 
...do.. 


Na-COs 


Fair. 


Do 


Tr. 
.1 


N.C. 
(?) 
(?) 

N.C. 
C. 

c. 
(?) 

N.C. 

N.C. 

N.C. 

N.C. 

N.C. 

N.C. 
(?) 
(?) 

N.C. 

N.C. 
N.C. 
N.C. 
N.C. 

N.C. 
N.C. 
N.C. 
N.C. 
N.C. 


...do 
...do 
...do.. 
...do 

Poor . . 
...do.. 

Good 

Fair . . 
...do 

Good.. 

Fair... 
...do 
...do 
...do 
...do.. 
/Very 
1 bad. 

Good.. 
...do 
...do 

Fair 
...do 

Good.. 

Fair... 
...do 

Poor 


Good. 


Macon 






do.. 
...do.. 

do.. 
Mod.. 


Ca-COs 
Na-COs 
Ca-C0 3 

Na-SO 4 


Do. 


Do 


2.4 




Do. 


Do 


1.5 


Poor. 


Do 




7 


Good. 




50 
Tr. 
Tr. 


Do. 


Schley 






do.. 
Mod .. 
...do.. 

Mod .. 
...do.. 
...do .. 
...do.. 
...do .. 

}High.. 

Mod 
...do.. 
...do .. 
do.. 
...do.. 

Low . . 

Mod 
...do .. 
...do.. 


Ca-SO-4 

Ca-C0 3 

do... 

Ca-C0 3 
do... 
do... 
do... 

...do... 

Na-COs 

do ... 

do... 

do... 
Ca-COs 

do... 
Na-COs 

do... 

do... 

do... 


Fair. 


Sumter 






Good. 


Crisp 






Do. 


Stewart 


1.2 

3.0 
.1 
.4 






Do. 


Do 






209 
211 
202 
174 
160 

1,159 

174 
193 
233 
162 
186 
3140 
248 
238 
387 


Do. 


Do 






Fair. 


Terrell 






Good. 


Do 






Do. 


Dougherty 

Do 


.2 


Tr. 


7.8 


Do. 
Bad. 


Do 


.4 

1.2 

.1 

.1 
. 2 


Fair. 


Do 






Good. 


Calhoun 






Do. 


Do 






Do. 


Do 






Do. 


Early 


Tr. 

6.3 




Do. 


Clay 




Do. 


Do 




Do. 


Barbour 






33 


Do. 








Approximate 




8 

30 
2 






150 

260 
40 










average. 
A p p r o x i mate 
range: 
Highest 






















Lowest 

















































a Fe 2 03+Al 2 03. 

6Fe+Al. 

c Computed. 

d C=corrosive; N. C.=noncorrosive; (?) =uncertain or doubtful. 



« Al 2.8, Li trace, Zn 9.4 parts. 
7 Free CO*, 2.0 parts. 
g Free CO2, 55 parts. 



38418"— wsp 341—15- 



-33 



514 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Analyses are available of only two waters known to be derived 
from the Eutaw formation and these are entered in Table 109. A 
larger number of analyses would undoubtedly show that the waters of 
this aquifer are similar in composition and usefulness to those of the 
sandy members of the Ripley formation, which comprise beds of 
similar lithologic character. 

Table 109. — Chemical composition of water from the Eutaw formation ( Upper Cretaceous). 

[Edgar Everhart, analyst. Parts per million except as otherwise designated.] 



Depth of well (feet) 

Depth to principal water-bearing stratum (feet) 

Date of collection 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 

Iron(Fe) 

Calcium (Ca) 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Sodium and potassium (Na+ K) 

Carbonate radicle (C0 3 ) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3) 

Sulphate radicle (SO4) 

Nitrate radicle (N O3) 

Chlorine (CI) 

Total dissolved solids 

Total hardness as CaCOso. 

Probable scale-forming ingredients a 

Probable foaming ingredients o 

Probability of corrosion a 

Quality for boiler use 

Mineral content 

Chemical character 

Quality for domestic use 



3S5 


270 


110 


270 


Mar. 28, 1911. 


June 4,1911. 


40 


26 


16 


.2 


2.4 


12 


2.8 


.5 


6.0 


62 


.0 


7.0 


37 


170 


22 


23 


2.0 


2 


3.5 


5.0 


126 


197 


17 


32 


50 


60 


15 


170 


Noncorrosive. 


Noncorrosive. 


Good. 


Good. 


Low. 


Moderate. 


Na-S0 4 . 


Na-C0 3 . 


Poor. 


Good. 



a Computed. 

1. Well of Mrs. L. W. Adams, 5 miles northwest of Cusseta, Chattahoochee County. 

2. Well of W. C. Bradley, 5 miles north of Omaha, Stewart County. 



EOCENE SERIES. 



MIDWAY FORMATION. 



The Midway, comprising ferruginous sand and local beds of clay 
together with marl, calcareous quartzite, and limestone that is gen- 
erally highly arenaceous, outcrops in a narrow belt in the southwest 
part of the State west of Ocmulgee River. The analyses of water 
in Table 110 are too few to permit many general statements regarding 
the character of the supplies, but they are apparently similar in 
composition and concentration to those from the Ripley — moderately 
mineralized, moderate in their content of scale-forming ingredients, 
not likely to foam nor cause corrosion in boilers, and, except those 
that carry much iron, entirely acceptable for domestic use. 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 



515 



Table 110. — Chemical composition of water from the Midway formation {Eocene). 
[Edgar Evt-rhart, analyst. Parts per million except as otherwise designated.] 



Depth of well (feet) 

Depth to principal water-bearing stratum 

(feet) 

Date of collection 

Silica (Si0 2 ) 

Iron(Fe) 

Calcium (Ca).. 

Magnesium (Mg) 

Sodium (Na) 

Potassium ( K) 

Carbonate radicle (CO3) 

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3) 

Sulphate radicle (SO4) 

Nitrate radicle (NO3) 

Chlorine (CI) 

Total dissolved solids 

Total hardness as CaC03 c 

Probable scale-forming ingredients c 

Probable foaming ingredients c ; 

Probability of corrosion c 

Quality for boiler use 

Mineral content 

Chemical character 

Quality for domestic use 



Spring. 



Apr., 1910. 
4.4 
7.0 
2.S 
1.2 
5.6 
2/6 

.0 
26 

.7 



12 

6 50 

11 

15 

20 

Noncorrosive. 

Good. 

Low. 



Fair. 



265 

240-265 
Apr. 20,1911. 
27 
3.0 
34 
3.0 

\ 8.0 

.0 
134 
6.0 
1.5 
3.5 
179 
97 
130 
20 
Noncorrosive. 
Fair. 
Moderate. 
Ca-C0 3 . 
Good. 



485 



27 
o4.6 

47 
1.4 
4.8 
1.9 



134 
12 



5.4 
174 
123 
170 
20 
Uncertain. 
Fair. 
Moderate. 
Ca-COs. 
Fair. 



June 1, 1911 

18 
4.0 

47 
6.0 

} » 

.0 
200 
8.0 
.5 
4.0 
208 
142 
170 
40 
Noncorrosive. 
Fair. 
Moderate. 
Ca-COs. 
Fair. 



a Fe 2 3 +Al 2 03. 



b Al 0.5 part; free CO2 41 parts. 



c Computed. 



1. Spring of Ida Munro, | mile west of Putnam, Marion County. 

2. Well of Clark & Spann, Plains, Sumter County. 

3. Town well, Shellman, Randolph County. 

4. Well of Callahan-Powell Co., 6 J miles east of Blakely, Early County. 



CLAIBORNE GROUP. 



The Claiborne group comprises at the top the Barnwell sand, which 
consists of beds of marine sand, thin beds of silicified limestone or 
chert, sandstone, and quartzite, and at the bottom the McBean forma- 
tion, which is mainly sand or clayey marl, sandy clay, and fuller's 
earth. Though the beds of the Claiborne group extend across the 
State, nearly all the Claiborne waters of which analyses are available 
are from wells in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain, one well 
in Ware County and one in Clay County being the only exceptions. 
Three spring waters from the Claiborne (see Table 111) are very low 
in mineral content, but the other waters from this group range from 
150 to 250 parts per million in total solids and from 90 to 160 parts 
in total hardness; in other words, they are moderately mineralized 
hard calcium carbonate waters rather high in scale-forming ingre- 
dients, but not likely to foam or be corrosive in boilers. They may 
be classed as generally fair for boiler use and good for domestic use. 
Some are reported to contain hydrogen sulphide but not in sufficient 
quantity to render them nauseating. These analyses are typical of 
waters from strata containing large proportions of calcareous mate- 
rial. As the waters from the Claiborne at Davisboro are not essen- 
tially different from those believed to come from the Lower Cretaceous 
at Oconee and Sanders ville in the same county, it is possible that the 
calcareous waters of the Claiborne have essentially modified the purer 



516 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

supplies of the Cretaceous. The water from the well in the Claiborne 
at Beach is like that from the Jackson at Waycross in the same 
county. 

Table 111. — Chemical composition of water from the Claiborne group (Eocene). 
[Parts per million except as otherwise designated.] 



County. 



Location. 



Owner or source. 



Depth 

of 
well. 



Depth to 
principal 
water- 
bearing 
stratum. 



Date of 
collection. 



Richmond. 
Burke 



Do 

Screven 

Jenkins 

Do 

Jefferson 

Do 

Do 

Washington . 

Do 

Johnson 

Do 

Ware 

Clay 

Do 



9 miles south of Augusta.. 

1 mile northeast of Shell 

Bluff. 
Waynesboro 

3 miles northeast of Mears. 

Millen 

Perkins 

Avera 

Louisville 

Wadley 

Davisboro 

4 miles west of Davisboro. 
Wrightsville 

do 

Beach 

Bluffton 

do 



Windsor Spring, W. H. T. 

Walker. 
Cox Spring 



Feet. 



Feet. 



Southern Cotton Oil Co. . . 

Mears & Sanders 

City well 

W. E. Rushing 

T. S. Ivey; Omaha Spring. 
Well at fair grounds 



200 
470 



500 



371 
565 

±300 



Town well , 

Spring of W. J. Henderson. 

Town well 

do 

McMillan & Co 

J. E. Mansfield 

Town spring 



325 



200-300 
170-330 
88-325 



a 409 

578 

850 

60 



170, 409 

430,578 

850 

60 



June, 1909 
1907 

Apr. 25,1911 

June 3, 1911 
Do. 



Apr., 1909 
Apr. 30,1911 

Dec. 17,1912 

June 1,1911 

Do. 



County. 


Analyst. 


2 

35 

a 

55 


a 
o 


"o? 
O 

'3 

O 


"So 

a 

a> 
S 

C3 


■a 

o 

02 


g 

J 

1 
o 


'■3 
So 

o 


'•3 

s 


"3 

'■3 

a, 

02 




H. C.White 


3.9 
7.4 

16 

28 

38 

11 
5.0 

39 

13 

13 

17 

25 

13 

44 

12 

36 


6 0. 2 

2.8 

6 6.1 

1.0 

6 1.2 

.5 

.4 

6 4.1 

6 1.8 

6 4.0 

6.6 

4.0 

2.3 

3.0 

.2 

.4 


3.4 
50 
62 
44 
40 
64 

1.0 
33 
57 
59 
56 
58 
62 
33 
47 

3.0 


0.6 
1.3 
2.0 
2.0 
3.6 
1.0 
1.0 
1.4 
3.1 

• 1.8 

.9 

2.0 

2.2 

16 
2.0 
Tr. 


0.8 
1.6 
3.6 


0.4 
.8 
1.7 


0.0 

.6 

.0 

.0 
.0 
47 

.0 
105 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
2.0 
.0 


12 
161 
201 
156 
132 
183 
8.0 

191 

173 

207 
190 
193 
158 
18 


1.6 






.5 


Do 


.do 


3.7 




....do 


14 

5.6 | 2.4 
4.0 
2.0 


6.0 




.do 


11 


Do 


.do 


26 




.do 


1.0 


Do .... 


...do 


3.1 

8.9 
14 
1.6 


2.8 

3.0 

3.7 

.6 


9.4 


Do 


..do 


11 




.do 


7.2 


Do 


....do 


1.4 




....do 


5.0 
5.4 

25 

14 
8.0 


Tr. 


Do 


H. C. White 


15 




Edgar Everhart 


27 


Clay 


. .do 


8.0 


Do. 


.do.... 


3.0 








Approximate 

Approximate range 

Highest 


20 

40 
4 


2 


50 

60 
1 


2 

20 
Tr. 


10 

30 
1 




170 

200 
10 


10 




30 




Tr. 











a Slits in casing admit water from 170-foot stratum; water is therefore a mixture. 
6 Fe 2 03+Al 2 3 . 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 



517 



Table 111- 


-Chemica 


composition of water from the Claiborne group (Eocene)— 


-Con. 










, 


CO 




, 




, 










County. 


a 

-a 


s 


"3 


o 
> 

"2 


"go 

So 


>d 

o 

■3 • 


.2-3 
g'3 

W CO 


a 

la. 

03 CO 
CD 


o 
o 

Co 

g.2 


CD 

o 


CD 


14 

CD 
O 

03 

o 


1 

1 
■d . 




o3 w 


.9 


ft 


"3 


o 


03 


C3"" 1 


is 3 


■2 ° 

03 fc. 




CD 




>> 




—I 


-n 


,d 


o 




CD 


o a 






s 


j9 


,d 


3 




'A 


o 


Ph 


H 


H 


fr 


PM 


Ph 


P4 


0? 


■3 


a 


0? 






1.2 
5.2 
7.0 




c20 
dl47 

198 


11 
130 
163 


82 


15 
160 

200 


5 
5 
15 


1& 

N.C. 


Good.. 
Fair 
...do.. 


Low . 




Good. 






do. 

Mod.. 


Ca-C0 3 . 
...do.... 


Do. 


Do 




Do. 




Tr. 


3.5 

8.0 




190 
175 


118 
115 





160 
160 


40 
20 


N.C. 
(?) 


...do 
...do.. 


do. 
...do . 


...do.... 
...do.... 


Do. 


Jenkins 


Do. 


Do 


.2 
4.0 


6.0 
4.0 
8.2 
4.7 
5.6 
3.0 


3.3 
Tr. 
Tr. 


200 
20 
152 
191 
213 
166 


164 
7 

88 
155 
155 
144 


13 
5 


200 
10 
140 
190 
190 
180 


10 
5 
15 
30 
50 
5 


P 

N.C. 
1& 

1&. 

N.C. 
N.C. 


...do 

Good.. 

Fair... 
...do 
...do 
...do.. 


,do. 
Low.. 


...do.... 


Do. 




Do. 


Do 


Mod.. 

do. 

do. 
...do. 


Ca-COs. . 
...do.... 
...do.... 
...do.... 


Do. 


Do 




Do. 






Do. 


Do 




Do. 




.2 


9.5 
5.6 




226 
e241 


153 
164 


(/) 


200 
200 


15 

15 


...do.. 
...do.. 


...do. 
...do. 


...do.... 
...do.... 


Do. 


Do 


Do. 


Ware 


.0 

.3 

4.0 


12 
3.0 

4.0 




249 
174 
80 


148 
126 

8 





170 
150 
40 


70 
40 
20 


...do 
...do.. 
Good.. 


do. 
...do. 

Low.. 


...do.... 
...do.... 
Na-COs. 


Do. 


Clay 


Do. 


Do 


Do. 






Approximate 
























b 




19U 




















Ap proximate 














range: 
































10 

1 




250 
20 

















































" Computed. 

b N. C.=noneorrosive; (?)=uncertain or doubtful. 

c Volatile matter, 2.1 parts. 



d Al, 1.6 parts. 

e Organic and volatile matter, 41 parts. 

/ Present. 



JACKSON FORMATION. 



The Jackson, the highest formation of the Eocene series, consists 
mainly of soft limestone and calcareous glauconitic sandy clay. Five 
analyses of water from wells tapping it in the central part of the State 
and two of water from a well in Ware County much nearer the coast 
are recorded in Table 112. Some water from the overlying Vicksburg 
(Oligocene) probably enters the wells at Dublin. Except the spring 
water at Americus, which is very low in mineral content, all waters 
from the Jackson for which analyses are available are hard, moder- 
ately high in scale-forming constituents, low in alkalies, and rather 
poor for boiler use in their natural state, though capable of being 
rendered thoroughly satisfactory by softening. All are acceptable for 
domestic use except that from the Bahnsen well, which is high in iron. 
The limestones and calcareous sands of the Jackson are the evident 
source of the hardening constituents. The water of the Bahnsen 
well, except for its content of iron, is similar to that from wells tapping 
other formations near Americus, and the water from the Jackson at 
Waycross is similar to that from the Claiborne. Consequently it 
seems fair to conclude that the water from the Jackson is locally 
similar to that from other Eocene strata. The figures in Table 112, 
showing the approximate average mineral content of waters from the 
Jackson, have been rounded off to avoid appearance of undue 
accuracy. 



518 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

Table 112. — Chemical composition of water from the Jackson formation (Eocene). 
[Parts per million except as otherwise designated.] 



County. 


Location. 


Owner or source. 


Depth 

of 
well. 


Depth to 
principal 
water- 
bearing- 
stratum. 


Date of col- 
lection. 




Dublin 




Feet. 


Feet. 
185-295 




Do 


Tingle, 7 miles southwest 
of Dublin. 


Jeptha Tingle 


242 

1S9 
180 


May 11,1911 
June 5, 1911 






189 
177-180 


Sumter 


Americus, 1 J miles south of 


P. F. Bahnsen 


Dec. 16,1912 


Do 




Apr. 19,1911 
Apr. 8, 1911 


Ware 


Waycross 


Town wells (2) 


700 
700 
699 


670-700 
670-700 
650-699 


Do 


do 


..do 


Brooks 


Quitman 


Town well 













County. 


Analyst. 


6 

w 

03 

s 


a 
o 


o 

Q 


"St 

I 

3 

a 


IS? 

| 

O 


g 

3 

O 
P4 


03 
<dO 

o 


'■5 . 

OS'S 

So 

IS 

£t a, 
cj 

s 


■a 


Laurens 


Edgar Everhart 


20 
32 
16 
34 
17 
45 
9.9 
17 


6 2.6 

1.5 

1.0 

10 

.6 

.2 

1.0 

.2 


68 
58 
45 
32 
2.0 
40 
54 
39 


3.7 
3.0 
1.0 
9.0 
1.0 
18 

.6 
9.4 


6.6 
8 


3.1 

n 


0.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
78 


211 
203 
158 
176 

17 
175 

io4 


17 


Do 


do.. 


1.0 


Dooly 


do... 


5.0 
16 

5.0 
24 

2.8 | .5 

4.9 | 3.7 


7.0 


Sumter 


do... 


13 


Do 


do... 


Tr. 


Ware 


do... 


49 


Do 


H.C. White 


10 


Brooks 


do 


3.8 










25 


3 


40 


5 


10 




150 


10 









County. 


CD 

03 . 

d 

o3 w 


CD 

.a 

o 

3 
o 


X) 

> 
"o 

o 

o 
E-i 


i u 

o ~ 

-So 

03O 
■fl 03 

3° 

o 

Eh 


If 

" 3 m 

,0-9+2 

2-2 -3 

On 


.2 O 
2 

CD CD 

5. a 


o 

03 £ 

^< 

Pn 


a> 

'0 
,a 

tV3 

3 
0? 


a 




"3 

fH 




C3 
M 

(3 

— . " 

I 

CD 
.3 
O 




O 3 

3 
O 1 






5.6 
5.0 
3.5 
4.0 
3.0 
20 
3.6 
4.6 


e231 
256 
134 
209 
50 
296 

/177 
159 


185 
157 
117 
117 
9 
174 
137 
136 


230 
210 
150 
143 
25 
190 
170 
150 


25 
20 
15 
40 
15 
CO 
10 
25 


(?) 

N. C. 
N. C. 

n. a 

N. C. 

( P 

(?) 

(?) 


Poor.. 
...do 

Fair... 
...do.. 

Good.. 

Fair... 
...do.. 
...do 


Mod .. 

do .. 
Low 
Mod.. 
Low .. 
Mod.. 
...do.. 

do.. 


Ca-C0 3 .. 

...do 

...do 

...do 

Na-COs . 

Ca-CC-3- - 
...do.... 
...do 


Good. 


Do 


Tr. 

0.2 
.0 

Tr. 
.0 


Do. 


Dooly. 


Do. 




Poor. 


Do 


Good. 
Do. 


Do 


Do. 






Do. 








Approximate 




5 


200 





























a One of the wells of the municipal water supply, which range from 300 to 850 feet in depth. 

b Fe 2 03+Al 2 03. 

c Computed. 

<*N. C.=noncorrosive; (?)=uncertain or doubtful. 

« Free C0 2 64 parts. 

/ Organic and volatile matter 16 parts. 



MISCELLANEOUS STRATA. 



The strata of Eocene age include the Midway, Wilcox, McBean, 
Barnwell, and Jackson formations, whose waters, except those from 
the Wilcox, are considered under separate headings. The Wilcox, 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 



519 



which overlies the Midway formation, includes lignitic and glauco- 
nitic clay somewhat like fuller's earth and unconsolidated sand and 
clay, but little is known in regard to the quality of its waters. 

Besides the analyses reported under the headings above mentioned, 
sixteen analyses of waters from Eocene strata that could not be defi- 
nitely identified are available, and these are grouped in Table 113. 
The well at Byromville yields water essentially like that from the well 
at Unadilla in the same county, which taps the Jackson formation. 
The well at Pembroke is reported to receive water from three hori- 
zons, and its chief source can not be identified. The wells at States- 
boro and at Adel present the recorded extremes of mineral content; 
as both, according to Stephenson, are probably from the upper part 
of the Eocene they may be noted as examples of the wide range of 
mineralization that waters from a given formation may acquire from 
local differences in composition of the water-bearing beds, in quan- 
tity of seepage from other formations, and in other conditions. 
Two waters reported to be from the Eocene at Leesburg differ mark- 
edly in composition, that from the shallower well being somewhat 
lower in mineral content but nearly twice as hard as that from the 
deeper well. 

Table 113.— Chemical composition of water from undifferentiated Eocene strata 
[Parts per million except as otherwise designated.] 



County. 



Location. 



Owner or source. 



Depth 
of well. 



Depth to 
principal 
water- 
bearing 
stratum. 



Date of 
collection. 



Baker. 

Ben Hill 

Berrien 

Bryan 

Bulloch 

Decatur 

Do 

Dooly 

Grady 

Lee 

Do 

Do 

Montgomery . 



Toombs. 

Wayne.. 

Do.. 



Newton 

Fitzgerald 

Adel 

Pembroke 

Statesboro 

Bainbridge 

do 

Byromville 

Cairo 

Armena 

Leesburg 

do 

Lumber City, 5 
northeast of. 

Lyons 

Jesup 

Mount Pleasant.... 



Public well 

Town well 

.....do 

U.S. Williams.. 

W. D. Davis 

Town well 

do 

.....do 

Public well 

I. P.Cocke 

Public well 

City light plant . 
McArthur 



Town well.. 

do 

L. R. Akin. 



Feet. 
825 
825 
675 
520 
320 
900 
1,250 
1,100 
750 
290 
540 
300 
900 

406 
675 
730 



Feet. 







. 520 


280 


370 




370 




320 




750 




290 




890-900 


400 


-406 


600 


-670 



June 13,1911 
Dec. 17,1912 



May 30,1911 
May 13,1911 



Mar., 1909 
Apr. 17,1911 

Apr. 15,1911 
Dec. 14,1912 
Dec. 23,1912 



520 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



Table 113- 


-Chemical composition of 


water 


from 


undifferentiated Eocene strata — 


Con. 




















|3 

-S 


3 


2 














































u 












< 


^ 


s 


^ 


k 


<B^. 


-7? 


u< 


County. 


Analyst. 


6 

CO 
CO 


&• 

P 
o 


a 

3 

.a 
a 

< 


a 

.a 

'3 

"3 
o 


a 

a 

03 


a 

3 

■S 

o 

CO 


a 

3 

03 
O 
P4 


o 

03 
O 


3 a 

O ^— ' 

,c 

a 
o 

'S 


-C 
f- 

3 

CO 




Edgar Everhart 


20 


a 3. 6 




4.5 


3.2 


59 


1.9 


0.0 


162 


9.3 


Ben Hill . 


do 


13 

47 

34 

43 
3.9 
4.0 

22 


ol0 

4.0 

2.0 

a5.0 

9.8 

.1 

.2 




20 
150 
22 

1.5 
62 
29 
24 


5.2 

72 

8.0 

.8 

4.6 

.1 

12 


8.2 


1.9 


.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 

85 

82 
.0 


72 
168 
140 
3.4 

88 


3.7 




.....do 


22 
22 
2.9 | 2.7 
26 
57 
8.0 


518 




do 


8.0 


Bulloch . 


do 


3.4 




H.C.White 


58 


Do 


do 


32 


Dooly 


Edgar Everhart 


20 




do 


24 
9.2 
35 
18 
17 


.4 
o2.1 
a 6. 2 

.5 
1.4 


0.5 


54 
60 
26 
54 
16 


12 

.7 
3.4 
1.2 
4.0 


28 

1.9 1 .7 

27 5.0 

2.9 | .3 

32 


.0 
1.0 


173 
183 
151 
148 
159 


112 




do 


5.9 


Do 


do 


13 


Do... 


do 


3.1 




...do 


2.0 


...do 


9.0 
40 
42 


.6 
6.0 
4.0 




9.0 
19 
31 


1.0 
20 
24 


36 
26 
25 


.0 
.0 
.0 


118 
177 
177 


6.0 




do 


35 




....do 


70 















® 






03 




.3 


a 


o 

f-l 


o 






a 




~o 




"3 


« 


-a 


a 




o 
a 


3 




CD 
O 


a 




o3 . 




•a 


B". 






a.^ 


o u 


o 


a 


U 


T3 


County. 


o 

03 
M 


O 

o 

e 

o 


3 

o 


'Ho 

03O 

XI 03 

O 

3 
o 


a 

o 
J3 

e3 

CI 
CD 
CD 


3.£ 
"3.9 

O 


> 

O 


03 
O 


O 

>. 

"(5 

3 


a 
o 

3 

CJ 

3 


o 

3 

CJ 

a 

CD 


S3 

"3 

3 




y A 


o 


;H 


e 


Ph 


fc 


F4 


Cm 


0? 


§ 


CJ 


& 






7.0 
20 
21 


190 

dll8 

972 


24 
71 
670 


74 
28 


40 

80 

610 


160 
25 
60 


N.C. 

( c ?) 


Fair... 
Good.. 
Bad... 


Mod.. 
Low. . 
High.. 


Na-C0 3 . 
Ca-C0 3 . 
Ca-S0 4 .. 


Good. 


Ben Hill 




Fair. 


Berrien 


0.0 


Poor. 




3.0 


10 
6.8 
21 
17 
15 


171 

69 

293 

e221 

137 


88 

7 

174 

73 
109 


3.0 


110 
50 

190 
90 

110 


60 
15 
70 
150 
20 


N.C. 
C. 

N.C. 
(?) 


Fair... 

Poor. . 

Fair... 
...do.. 
...do.. 


Mod.. 

Low. . 

Mod.. 
...do... 
...do... 


Ca-C0 3 .. 
Na-CL. . 
Ca-C0 3 .. 
Na-C0 3 . 
Ca-C0 3 . 


Good. 


Bulloch 


Fair. 






Do. 


Do 




Good. 


Dooly 


.1 


Do. 


Grady 


.2 


19 


342 


184 




200 


80 


(?) 


...do... 


...do.. 


Ca-SO^.. 


Do. 






6.3 

5.2 
3.0 
9.0 


174 
195 
169 
183 


153 

79 
140 
56 


22 


190 
120 
180 

70 


5 
90 
10 

90 


N.C. 
N.C. 


...do.. 
...do... 
...do.. 
Good.. 


...do... 
...do.„ 
...do... 
...do.. 


Ca-CO-, . 
Na-C0 3 . 
Ca-C0 3 .. 
Na-C0 3 . 


Do. 


Do.. 




Fair. 


Do 




Good. 


Montgomery . . . 


.1 


Do. 


Toombs 


.1 


11 


112 


27 




40 


100 


N.C. 


...do.. 


Low. . 


...do 


Do. 




Tr.. 

Tr.. 


7.0 
18 


229 

303 


129 
176 




130 
170 


70 
70 


N.C. 
(?) 


Fair... 
...do.. 


Mod.. 
...do... 


Ca-C0 3 .. 
...do.... 


Fair. 


Do 


Do. 







a Fe 2 3 +Al 2 3 . 

t> Computed. 

c C»=corrosive; N.C.=noncorrosive; (?)=uncertain or doubtful. 



d P0 4 trace. 

e Organic and volatile matter 1.0 part. 



OLIGOCENE SERIES. 

VICKSBTJRG FORMATION. 



The Vicksburg formation is chiefly soft heavy-bedded limestone 
overlain by beds of sand and clay. The limestone has been extensively 
dissolved by percolating waters charged with carbon dioxide, and there- 
fore much of its water circulates in open channels and caverns instead 
of slowly filtering, as in sand. Consequently the chances of pollution 
of these sources through sink holes and other underground passages 
are worth attention, for polluted water can be carried long distances 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OE WATERS. 521 

in a very short time through limestone channels without being purified 
any more than if it were passing through an iron pipe. The oppor- 
tunities of such contamination are of course greatest where the forma- 
tion is exposed and least where it is deeply buried. To determine 
whether or not the circulating waters at any given place are polluted 
chemical analyses are practically useless, but much may be learned 
by bacteriologic examinations and by using fluorescein or other dye3 
to trace the underground courses. 

The wells tapping the Vicksburg are scattered over the southeast 
half of the Coastal Plain, some being almost on the seacoast. Analyses 
of water from 28 of them, given, in Table 114, show more plainly 
than the analyses heretofore considered the effect of contact with 
calcareous material. None of them contains less than 100 parts per 
million of total solids, and all but 6 exceed 100 parts in hardness. 
Springs from earlier formations yield waters very low in mineral 
content, but springs from the Vicksburg yield hard waters comparable 
in most respects to those from wells. Lovett Spring, issuing from 
the cavernous limestone of the Vicksburg, yields water much more 
strongly mineralized than that from two other springs in Laurens 
County; and the springs at Coney and Albany yield similarly hard 
waters. The well waters range generally in dissolved solids from 
100 to 300 parts per million and in hardness from 70 to 200 parts. 
One unusually strong water, from the town well at St. Marys, contains 
504 parts per million of total solids. The close similarity of the waters 
from three different horizons in the old town well at Valdosta furnishes 
no basis for the belief that mineral content increases with depth of 
source. On the other hand, the great difference in content of iron 
between the two waters from Mr. Brown's wells near Philema attests 
the effect of local differences in the formation. 

The supplies from the Vicksburg are distinctly calcium carbonate 
waters of moderate mineral content. They are generally hard but 
not too hard for domestic use, and they are acceptable if they do 
not also contain enough iron to taste unpleasant. They carry enough 
scale-forming matter to make softening advisable before they are 
used for boiler feed, but they are not likely to foam or cause corrosion. 
They may be classed as fair or poor for boilers in their natural state, 
but they can be rendered entirely satisfactory by preliminary treat- 
ment. The high sulphate content of some of the waters renders them 
less desirable for industrial use, for waters high in sulphate deposit 
a harder scale in boilers than those proportionately higher in car- 
bonates. All the waters are low in chloride. The figures at the 
bottom of the table, which represent numerically the average chemi- 
cal composition of the waters from the Vicksburg, have been rounded 
off to indicate approximate conditions and should not be too literally 
interpreted. 



522 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



Table 114. — Chemical composition of water from the Vicksburg formation (Oligocene). 
[Paris per million except as otherwise designated.] 



County. 


Location. 


Owner or source. 


Depth 

of 
well. 


Depth to 
principal 
water- 
bearing 
stratum. 


Date of 
collection. 




Idylwild, 3 miles south 

of Wrightsville. 
Lovett 




Feet. 
305 

Spring. 
158 
643 
137.5 

396 


Feet. 
100 






L. P. Fordham 


July, 1909 
Mar., 1910 




Chester 


Carson Naval Stores Co. 


158 
482-643 
136-137. 5 

375 




Hazelhurst 


Apr. 6,1911 
July 10,1911 


Dooly 


Vienna, 5 miles north- 
west of. 








Do 


Coney, 2 miles west of. . 
Ashburn 


Spring of Georgia Land 
Corporation. 


June 10,1911 


Turner 


500 
355 
142 
114 

550 
368 
572.5 


500 


June 15,1911 




Ocilla 


do 


Apr. 4,1911 
Mar. 30,1911 




Philema Quarters 

Starr farm near Phile- 
ma. 
Tifton 






Do 


do 




Do. 


Tift 




300-550 

330-368 

340-512 

20-30 


May 24,1911 


Do 


do 


H. H. Tift 


Do 


do 


Tifton Ice & Power Co. . 






Albany, 4 miles south of 


Apr. 1,1911 






407 
500 
522 
522 
522 
320 




Valdosta 


Public well 


360-500 
360 
460 
515 

130-320 




Do 


do 






Do 


do 


do 




Do 


do.... 


do 












Do 








Do 


do 


Town well No. 2 








Mitchell 




City well 


297 

246.5 
(a) 


100-297 
140 
( Q ) 
500± 

500-522 


June 7, 1911 


Miller 


Colquitt 


Town well 


Dec. 23,1912 


Chatham 




City wells 


Apr. 11,1911 
1886 


Do 


do 




Camden 


St. Marys 




522 


May 6, 1911 











County. 


Analyst. 


O 
33 

p 

b 


a 
o 

1— 1 


3 

3 

.s 

< 


'c? 



'3 
O 


Si 

a 

CD 

a 

03 

3 


g, 


CO 


g 




•6 

a . 

©O 

Is 

.a 

03 
O 


T3 
03 • 
*-* T* 

03O 

fit! 
■°^ 

S3 

3 



■3 

03 . 

oO 

03 GO 

n 




J. M. McCandless 

Edgar E verhart 

do 


35 

17 

28 

24 

20 

11 

34 

26 

18 

13 

12 

28 

16 

16 

12 

31 

15 
6.7 
8.0 

12 

20 

20 

20 

23 
6.0 

58 

55 

43 


6 1.0 
.1 
1.4 

.4 

Tr. 

6 2.9 

.4 

.4 

1.5 

12 

1.5 

.2 

.1 

6 3.8 

.4 

.3 

6 6.1 

1.2 

1.1 

1.4 

618 

61.6 

6 1.4 

.8 

.5 

1.0 

6.4 

.4 


5.3' 

".6 

.5 
.9 


35 
50 
35 
52 
48 
44 
56 
24 
34 
49 
44 
44 
73 
35 
49 
50 
25 
42 
35 
41 
40 
48 
48 
46 
40 
26 
25 
73 


0.8 

.2 

1.4 

4.0 

8.0 

1.1 

.4 

7.0 

6.2 

2.0 

3.2 

2.0 

.8 

4.9 

2.4 

16 

3.1 

.6 

. 7 

.7 

4.0 

22 

22 

1.0 

2.5 

10 

7.2 

8.0 


2 


2 


2.5 

.0 

.0 

Tr. 

2.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

116 

34 

.0 

.0 

56 

48 

56 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
.0 
2.0 


87 
144 
112 
178 
170 
134 
159 
117 
158 
178 
166 
181 

178 
136 
61 

128 
179 
159 
150 
148 
170 


0.6 




5.0 1 0. 4 

2. 4 | .5 
18 ' 

6.0 

4.6 

6.0 

8.0 

5.6 

4.0 

2.9 
18 
8. 3 | 4.1 

8 

3.8 


2.6 


Dodge 


1.3 




do 


9.0 


Dooly 


do 


3.0 




do 


4.4 


Do 


do 


9.0 


Turner 


do 


8.0 




do 


Tr. 




do 


2.0 


Do 


do 


4.8 


Tift 


do 


6.0 


Do 


H. C. White 


12 


Do 


Boiler Compound Co. 

Edgar E verhart 

do 


49 




2.0 




4.3 
2.8 
3.5 
3.1 
2.3 
5.4 
9.0 
7.8 


.6 

1.1 

.4 

.5 

.3 

2.0 

2.6 

2.1 


72 




do 


24 


Do 


H. C. White ■ 


13 


Do 


do 


12 


Do 


do 


14 


Thomas 


do 


8.8 


Do 


81 


Do 


do 


82 


Mitchell 


do 


3.0 

6.0 

17 

10 | 1.7 

60 


5.0 




do 


Tr. 


Chatham 


do 


8.0 


Do... 


C. F. Chandler 

Edgar E verhart 


11 




.0 


152 


170 




20 

60 
10 


1 

10 
Tr. 




40 

70 
25 


5 

20 
1 


10 

20 
2 





140 

200 
60 


20 


Approximate range 
Highest 




80 




Tr. 











« Twelve wells 475-500+ feet deep and one well 1,550 feet deep. The 1,550-foot well probably enters the 
Cretaceous, but the others draw from the Vicksburg. 6 Fe203+Al203. 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OP WATERS. 



523 



Table 114. — Chemical composition of water from the Vicksburg formation (Oligo- 

cene) — Continued. 



County. 


a 

"o3 


5 

.S 

t-i 

o 

3 
o 


"g 
hi 

03 
o>o 

ft 
o 
,=> 

CM 


"o 
>C 

flS 

o3 c3 

.2 8 

PI 

03 
60 

O 


"o 

.is 




03 
B A 

to 
go 

fl 03 


"3 



EH 



►4 



•3 . 
SO 

€s 

03^ 



<s> 


<S 2 

i fl 

■3.2 

03 ,a 

g.a 

P< 


a 

It 

g 

®'3 

73 CD 
"o3 bo 

~ a 
p 




a 
b 8 

03 


Ph 




a3 


CD 

d 


03 

.a 


03 

O 

u 

3 

1 

CD 
O 


a 


si 






3.0 
5.0 
4.2 
9.5 
5.0 
5.6 
4.5 
3.5 
4.5 
3.6 
3.0 
5.0 
.7 

12 
3.5 
5.0 
5.4 
4.9 
4.2 
2.9 
9.5 

12 

12 
2.0 
3.5 
7.0 

11 

33 


0.1 






91 
126 

93 
146 
153 
114 
142 

89 
110 
131 
123 
118 
186 
108 
132 
191 

75 
107 

90 
105 
116 
210 
210 
119 
110 
106 

92 
215 


'27" 

"is' 

4 
20 


140 
170 
130 
180 
170 
140 
200 
100 
130 
160 
150 
160 
230 
120 
160 
210 
90 
130 
110 
130 
140 
200 
200 
160 
130 
150 
140 
270 


5 
15 
10 
50 
15 
10 
15 
20 
15 
10 
10 
50 
30 
20 
10 
15 
10 
10 
10 
5 
20 
30 
30 
10 
15 
50 
30 
160 


(?) 
(?) 
(?) 

N. C. 

(?) 

(?) 

(?) 
N.O 
N.C- 
N.C. 
N.C. 
N.C. 
N.C. 

(?) 
N.C. 

(?) 

(?) 

(?) 

(?) 

(?) 

(?) 

(?) 

(?) 
N.C. 
N.C. 
N.C. 

""(?)'" 


Fair... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 

Poor . . 

Fair 
...do... 

Poor . . 

Good.. 

Fair... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 

Poor . . 


Low. . 

Mod.. 

Low 

Mod... 
...do... 

Low. . 

Mod... 

Low. . 
...do... 

Mod.. 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
do... 

Low,. 

Mod . . 

Low. . 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 

Mod.. 
...do... 
...do... 

Low. . 
...do... 

Mod.. 
...do... 

High.. 


Ca-C0 3 . 

...do 

do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

Ca-S0 4 .. 

Ca-C0 3 .. 

Ca-S0 4 .. 

Ca-C0 3 .. 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do.... 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

Ca-S0 4 .. 


Good. 








158 
132 
231 
181 
141 
196 
100 
144 
177 
167 
192 
250 
176 
139 
252 
113 
150 
138 
149 
174 
278 
274 
137 
129 
220 
229 
504 


Do. 










Do. 


Jeff Davis 


Tr. 
0.1 






Do. 
Do. 








Do. 


Do 


.2 
.2 
Tr. 
.2 
2.5 
.1 






Do. 








Do. 




'.T 




Do. 




Poor. 


Do 


Good. 


Tift. 






Do. 


Do 




7.0 


Do. 


Do. 




Do. 


Dougherty 


1.5 






Do. 






Do. 










Fair. 


Do 




".T 

Tr. 
Tr. 


20 
23 
16 


Good. 


Do 




Do. 


Do 




Do. 






Poor. 


Do 




Fair. 


Do.... 




Do. 


Mitchell 


.4 
.5 
.4 
2.2 
Tr. 


Good. 








Do. 








Do. 


Do 


Tr. 


9.9 


Do. 




Fair. 










Approximate 


5 

12 
.5 


190 

300 
100 








Approximate 
range: 















































































a Computed. 



& N. C.=noncorrosive; (?)=uncertain or doubtful. 



CHATTAHOOCHEE FORMATION. 



The Chattahoochee formation, like the Vicksburg, which underlies 
it in many places, is mostly limestone, and its waters are similar 
to those of the Vicksburg. Only a few analyses of waters from the 
Chattahoochee in the southern part of the State are available (see 
Table 115), but these represent calcium carbonate waters of moderate 
mineral content generally good for domestic use except for their 
hardness and generally fair for boiler use. Most of the waters 
contain enough scale-forming matter to deposit considerable scale, 
but it would be soft and most of it could readily be blown from 
boilers as sludge, though it would be better to soften the supplies 
before use. From the limited information concerning the composi- 
tion of the waters from the Chattahoochee it may be concluded 
that they range in mineral content from 150 to 300 parts and in 
hardness from 100 to 200 parts per million. One water analyzed 
contains 92 parts per million of sulphate and one contains 35 parts 
of chlorine, but most waters from the formation probably contain 



524 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

less than 10 parts of either radicle. The waters from the Chatta- 
hoochee in Worth County are much alike, but they differ from 
one another as much as they do from the waters of the Eocene or 
Cretaceous. 

Table 115. — Chemical composition of tuater from the Chattahoochee formation (Oligocene). 
[Parts per million except as otherwise d&signated.] 



County. 



Location. 



Owner or source. 



Depth 
of well. 



Depth to 
principal 
water- 
bearing 
stratum. 



Date of 
collection. 



Camden. 
Wilcox. . 
Worth. . . 
Do... 
Brooks . . 
Echols... 



Tarboro 

Abbeville, 1 mile north of. 

Sylvester 

do 

Quitman 

Statenville 



Stafford Bros 

Poor Robin Spring. . 

Town well 

Joseph McGrili(?)_. 

Town well 

Garbett Lumber Co. 



Feet. 
400 



Feet. 
350-375 



200± 
100 
321 
148 



310 

71-148 



Apr. 14,1911 

June 1, 1911 

Aug., 1908 

Do. 

June 7,1911 



















<D 


i 


co 












w> 






O 


T} 














a 






-O 


03 . 
















































County. 


Analyst. 


O 
53 


(2 


o 

a 

3 

'o 

"3 
o 


a 

2 


a 


a 

3 


a-' 


si 








03 

53 


a 

o 


03 


3 

'•5 

o 

m 


03 
o 
Ah 


o 

u 

03 

O 


s 


XI 

f 


Camden 


Edgar Everhart 


36 


0.4 


45 


26 


1 


7 


0.0 


178 


92 




do 


14 
21 

26 
28 
34 


.4 
.1 
.4 
13 
.2 


54 
51 
54 
23 
25 


4.0 
7.3 
7.2 
9.1 
11 


3.0 

12 1 2.5 

24 7.0 

4.1 | .7 

12 


.0 

.0 
.0 
.0 


185 
198 
209 
120 
136 


1.0 


Worth . . . 


...do... 


.7 


Do... 


...do 


2.0 




...do... 


Tr. 




...do 


12 








Approximate 


25 




40 


10 


15 




170 















o 




-a 

CD 


03 


-2"^ 


60 

a 


u 


CD 






8 


County. 


T3 

03 

d 
"3 


5 

CD 

a 


> 

"3 


-So 

03O 
-C 03 

03 


• S 


a e - 

3 a 
a to 


o 
S o 

11 


o 

O CD 
i? 3 


5 

CD 
CD 


03 
CD 

■a* 

o 

1 


a 

o 
T3 cd 






71 






o o a> 










CD 




























K 


O 


Eh 


&H 


fH 


fin 


Ah 


o? 


^ 


o 


& 


Camden 


1.5 


14 


323 


219 


210 


50 


(?) 


Poor . . 


Mod.. 


Ca-S0 4 .. 


Good. 


Wilcox 


.2 


3.5 


190 


151 


180 


10 


(?) 


Fair... 


...do... 


Ca-C0 3 .. 


Do. 


Worth 




7.0 
35 


c204 
<Z261 


157 

164 


180 
200 


40 
SO 


N. C 
N. C 


...do... 
...do... 


...do... 
...do.. 


...do.... 
...do.... 


Do. 


Do 


.0 


Do. 






5.8 
12 


el53 
182 


95 
108 


110 
130 


15 
30 


N. C 
N. C 


...do.. 
...do.. 


...do... 
...do... 


...do.... 
...do 






Tr. 


Good. 






Approximate 




















8 


200 







































<* Computed. 

6 N. C=noncorrosive; (?)=uncertain or doubtful. 

c Al 0.2 part. 



d Al 0.5; PO* 1.6; free C0 2 4 parts per million. 
e Al 2.6; free C0 2 90 parts. 



ALUM BLUFF FORMATION. 



The Alum Bluff formation consists chiefly of sand, clay, and 
gravelly beds of coarse sandstone or grit with local beds of clay, and 
it includes marine deposits of clayey sand and sandy laminated clay. 
Though the formation is widely distributed, very few waters from it 



CHEMICAL CHAEACTEE OP WATERS. 



525 



have been analyzed. (See Table 116.) The mineral content and 
hardness of these indicate that the strata contain some calcareous 
material. The extremely low mineral content of the spring water 
at Kibbee indicates that the supply comes from a sandy or gravelly 
bed in which circulation is rapid. 

Table 116. — -Chemical composition of water from the Alum Bluff formation (Oligocene). 
[Parts per million except as otherwise designated.] 



County. 


Location. 


Owner or source. 


Depth of 
weU. 


Depth to 
principal 
water- 
bearing 
stratum. 


Date of 
collection. 


Tattnall 




Town well 


Feet. 

275 

Spring. 

140 

a 204 

155 


Feet. 


Feb. 14,1913 






Mrs. N. H. Mason 




Oct., 1909 


Telfair 






Nov., 1907 








200 

67 






Cordele, 1 mile east of.. 


.T. W. Cannon 


May 20,1911 



























































































































■o 




County. 


Analyst. 


O 
33 

C3 


PR 

a 

o 


< 

a 



a 

a 


o 

a 


'3 

a 

3 

1 
03 


E 
a 


8 

a 

o 


o 
.a 

03 


oO 

cm 

o 


03 

p, 






m 


HH 


< 


a 


S 


02 


PM 


o 


PQ 


CQ 


Tattnall 




72 


5.0 




13 


7.0 


1 


2 





86 


11 




do 


12 


.5 


0.2 


1.6 


.6 


1.5 


0.8 




33 


1 4 


Telfair 


do 


43 
97 


.1 

617 


.1 


62 
3.9 


9.8 

.7 


7.1 
13 


1.7 

4.4 


.0 


221 

27 


4 7 




do 


1 6 




do 


9.0 


.2 




44 


Tr. 


1 


1 


.0 


150 


8 









County. 



C30 

.3 cS 



Tattnall 

Montgomery. 

Telfair 

Appling 

Crisp 



Tr. 



4.0 
4.0 

10 

12 
3.5 



165 

27 

251 

el69 

172 



195 
13 
110 



120 
20 
240 
110 
140 



N. C. 
N. C. 
(?) 
N. C. 
N. C. 



Fair. . 
Good. 
Poor. 
Fair.. 
..do.. 



Mod. 
Low. 
Mod. 
..do. 
..do. 



Ca-C0 3 . 
Na-C0 3 . 
Ca-C0 3 - 
Na-C0 3 . 
Ca-C0 3 . 



Fair. 
Good. 
Do. 
Poor. 
Good. 



a Originally 461 feet deep; now partly filled with sand. 
b Fe 2 3 +Al 2 3 . 
c Computed. 



d N. C.=noncorrosive; (?)=uncertain or 

doubtful. 
« PO4 5.4 parts; free CO2 31 parts. 



MISCELLANEOUS STRATA. 



Eight analyses of water from strata of Oligocene age, comprising 
the Vicksburg, Chattahoochee, and Alum Bluff formations, are 
grouped in Table 117, either because the exact horizon from which the 
supplies come could not be determined or because the wells draw 
from several horizons. The well at Dover taps two water-bearing 
beds, at 125 and 225 feet, which are either in the Chattahoochee or in 



526 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 



the Vicksburg. The wells at Helena penetrate sand, clay, and thin 
layers of hard rock. The wells at Douglas, Willacoochee, and Lum- 
ber City receive their supplies either from the Chattahoochee or the 
Vicksburg. 

Table 117. — Chemical composition of water from undifferentiated Oligocene strata. 
[Parts per million except as otherwise designated.] 



County. 


Location. 


Owner or source. 


Depth 
of well. 


Depth to 
principal 
water-bear- 
ing stratum. 


Date of 
collection. 


Bulloch 


Register, 3J miles 
southwest of. 


J. W. Atwood 


Feet. 
Spring. 

409 
408 
350 
250 


Feet. 


Dec., 1909 


Coffee 




325,390 
350 

125,225 
250 

220 




Do 




...do.... 


Apr. 5, 1911 






Central of Georgia Ry 

McRae Coca Cola Bot- 
tling Co. 


Telfair 


Helena 


Apr. 18,1911 


Do 


do 


Do... 






160 
430 


Apr. 17,1911 


Do 


Lumber City 




320-425 

























CD 




<B 












tao 








03 












^ 


3 




i> 


03 


®9 


9 

03 






















County. 


Analyst. 


O 


^ 


O 


H 
3 


& 


a 


-2d 


nW 


«o 








Ph 


.2 

"3 
o 


8 


a 




39. 


O*-' 


32 






03 

g 


g 
n 


a 

c3 


3 

•■3 

o 
m 


C3 
O 

Ph 


O 

.o 

03 
Q 


t;.2 

03 O 
O—i 

3 


f 

CO 


Bulloch 




4.8 
83 


3.5 
a34 


l.l 

34 


0.6 

7.2 


4.5 
12 


0.3 
4.6 


0.0 


74 
158 


9 


Coffee 


do 


2.6 


Do... 


...do 


36 
50 
44 
30 


1 

a4.2 

2.0 

al.3 


37 
36 
43 
46 


11 
6.2 
8.0 
8.0 


6.0 

20 | 7.1 

18 

11 


.0 

2.5 

78 


160 
149 
207 


27 




...do 


3.9 


Telfair... 


...do.... 


2.0 


Do 


Dearborn Chemical Co. . . 


14 


Do 


Edgar Everhart 


38 


.4 


54 


6.0 


12 


Tr. 


246 


2.0 


Do 


...do 


8.3 


all 


40 


5.1 


8.1 2.6 


58 




30 















CD 




<0 


03 


^3 


bo 

a 








o 


<2 


County. 


•■3 

03 

d 


5 




"So 
go 
-d os 
,-.0 


tn SO 

.si 


§ "3 

03-2 
*— CD 

2 £ 


o 

03 •- 


o 


s 

"3 

o 
o 

"3 


03 

a 

"3-w 


a 

o 

ti 

t».2 




2 


o 


03 


03 


°a§ 


•° a 


,Q 




a 










a 


o 


o 




o 


p 




3 




£ 


o 


Eh 


H 


Ah 


Ph 


Ph 


a 


§ 


o 


a? 


Bulloch 




6.3 
10 

5.0 
29 
10 
18 

8.0 
10 


d29 
e266 
210 
229 
262 
/210 
272 
180 


5 
114 
138 
115 
140 
148 
160 
121 


10 
200 
160 
170 
180 
180 
210 
130 


15 
40 
15 
70 
50 
30 
30 
30 


N.C. 

N.C. 

(?) 
N.C. 

N.C. 

(?) 

N.C. 

N.C. 


Good . 

Fair... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do 

Poor . . 

Fair 


Low .. 

Mod... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
do... 


Na-C0 3 . 

Ca-C0 3 . 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 


Fair. 


Coffee 




Bad. 


Do 


0.2 


Good. 




Fair. 


Telfair 


Tr. 


Good. 


Do 


Do. 


Do 


.5 


Do. 


Do 


Poor. 









a Fe 2 03+Al 2 3 . 

b Computed. 

c N. C.=noncorrosive; (?)=uncertain or doubtful. 



d Al 0.2 part. 
e Free C0 2 42 parts. 
/ Organic and volatile matter 4.0 parts. 



UNDIFFERENTIATED OLIGOCENE TO PLEISTOCENE, INCLUSIVE. 

Analyses of waters from certain deposits, to which no specific name 
has been given but which have been grouped as " undifferentiated 
Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive," are given in Table 118. The 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OP WATERS. 



527 



nature of these deposits is discussed on page 94, and many shallow 
wells in central Georgia enter them. The few available analyses 
indicate that water from these beds is generally good for boiler and 
domestic uses, being usually low in mineral content and relatively 
soft. 

Table 118. — Analyses of water from "undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, 

inclusive.'" 

[Parts per million.] 



County. 



Screven 

Jenkins 

Emanuel 

Liberty 

Laurens 

Montgomery 

Coflee 

Tift 

Clinch 

Toombs 



Location. 



Eureka Spring, 12 
miles south of Syl- 
vania. 

Thrift, 1 mile east of. . 

Magnolia Spring, 4 
miles southeast of 
Stillmore. 

Donald, 10 miles north- 
west of Ludowici. 

Lovett, J mile south- 
west of. 

Higgston, near 

Douglas,2 miles east of. 

Tifton, 4 miles west of. 



Argyle, near. . 
Norman town. 



Owner. 



H. S. White... 
Jones's spring . 



T.J.Harrington. 
O. W. Parker... 



W.A.Calhoun.. 

Gaskins Spring. . 

Murrow Mineral 

Spring Co. 



J. M. and C. S. 
Meadows. 



Depth of 
well. 



Spring . . . 



Spring . 
..do... 



.do- 



Spring. 
..do.... 



Date of col- 
lection. 



July, 1909 



Sept., 1909 



Apr. 5,1911 
Apr. 3,1911 

Aug., 1909 



Analyst. 



Edgar Everhart. 



Do. 
Do. 



Do. 

Do. 

Do. 
Do. 
Do. 

Do. 

























s> 
















































o 


















T3 


t3 


T3 














S 








03 


o3 


•n 








«i 


^ 


^ 


M 








03 . 


County. 


2 


ft 


1 


03 

a 


.2 


03 




I 


a 


-SO 
o3Q 


d 

CD CO 
03 


o 




03 
CD 

3 

CO 


a 
o 


a 

3 

< 


'3 

"ol 
Q 


a 

03 


•3 

o 
m 


1 
o 

ft 


03 

O 


03 
CD 

5 


ft 

■3 

to 


c3 


Screven 


5.2 


6.3 


0.1 


1.4 


0.2 


3.4 


0.4 




61 


1.4 




Jenkins 


6.0 


.8 




2.5 


.6 


5.9 


.4 




28 


1.8 




Emanuel 


5.0 


1.0 




.2 


.3 


1.6 


.5 




4.2 


.4 




Liberty 


8.5 


3.5 


.2 


2.0 


1.6 


4.7 


.4 




114 


.9 




Laurens 


14 


.2 




1.5 


.8 


2.8 


.1 




10 


2.4 




Montgomery.. 


10 


30 


Tr. 


.7 


.1 


1.9 


Tr. 




36 


Tr. 




Coflee 


12 
22 

7.7 


Tr. 

.2 

9.1 


2.6 


2.0 
38 

.8 


1.0 

2.0 
.5 


6 
6 
4 




9 


0.0 
.0 


11 

154 
144 


Tr. 
Tr. 
1.4 


1.0 


Tift 


Tr. 


Clinch 




Toombs 


2.4 


.5 


.1 


1.8 


.7 


3.2 


.3 




28 


1.4 





County. 





■d 


8 


if) 


a © 


"3 13 


o 
o 5 

"o3 



a 


t. 


o 

to 

.a 

o 
r| 


> 
o 

"oS 

o 




03 i_.T3 
o ° H 


03 '— 

3 -§ 

,g M g 


si 

Is 

S3 


a 

"5 
o 
o 

CD 

.9 


o 

"c3 £ 
O O 

a 03 


O 


EH 


En 


ft 


ft 


ft 


o 1 


a 


o 


5.0 


33 


4.3 


10 


10 


N. C. 


Good . 


Low .. 


Na-C0 3 . 


8.9 


34 


8.7 


16 


17 


N. C. 


...do.. 


...do.. 


...do.... 


4.0 


15 


1.7 


7 


5.7 


N. C. 


...do.. 


...do.. 


Na-Cl . 


8.7 


41 


12 


21 


14 


N. C. 


...do.. 


...do.. 


Na-C0 3 . 


4.4 


30 


7 


22 


7.8 


N. C. 


...do.. 


...do.. 


...do.... 


2.8 


86 


2.2 


12 


5.1 


N. C. 


...do.. 


...do.. 


...do.... 


5.0 


36 


9.1 


22 


16 


*\ 


...do.. 


...do.. 


...do.... 


3.0 


168 


103 


142 


16 


Fair .. 


Mod.. 


Ca-COg . 


10 


69 


4.0 


12 


13 


N. C. 


Good . 


Low .. 


Na-C0 3 . 


5.2 


20 




11 


9.4 


N. C. 


...do 


...do.. 


do.... 



CD 

o 

3 CD 

§a 

Q? 



Screven 

Jenkins 

Emanuel 

Liberty 

Laurens 

Montgomery 

Coffee 

Tift 

Clinch 

Toombs 



Fair. 
Good. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 
Bad. 
Good. 

Do. 
Poor. 
Good. 



a Computed. 



6 NC.=noncorrosive; (?) uncertain or doubtful. 



528 UNDEEGEOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 



SUMMAEY. 

Tho averages computed from Tables 107 to 116, inclusive, and col- 
lected in Table 119 show some striking general similarities and differ- 
ences in the waters from the various formations of the Coastal Plain. 
The Chattahoochee and the Vicksburg, both of which include massive 
beds of limestone, yield waters of practically the same composition; 
the composition of individual waters from either formation has far 
greater range than the general differences between the averages. 
The rather meager information regarding waters from the Alum Bluff 
indicates that they are somewhat softer than those from other forma- 
tions of the Oligocene. The three averages portraying the quality of 
waters from Eocene formations show that the supplies from that 
series are generally similar in composition to those from Oligocene 
strata. The waters from the Jackson formation and the formations 
of the Claiborne group have wider range of mineral content than those 
from the Chattahoochee and the Vicksburg formations, but the 
averages show that the waters from all four formations have prac- 
tically the same general characteristics. Apparently the differences 
in composition that may be found from place to place in waters from 
a given formation, and those that may be found in waters from 
various horizons of Eocene and Oligocene formations at a given place, 
are much greater than the general differences between supplies from 
the various water-bearing beds. Evidently, then, no particular for- 
mation of these two series yields markedly superior or inferior water, 
and choice of the proper horizon to tap for domestic or industrial 
supplies must depend on local conditions. The formations of the 
Oligocene and Eocene series furnish rather hard calcium carbonate 
waters of moderate mineral content, practically all of which are 
acceptable for domestic use. Most of them should be softened 
before being used in boilers, as they carry appreciable quantities of 
scale-forming matter. 

Table 119. — Approximate chemical composition of waters from the chief water-bearing 

strata. 

[Parts per million.] 



Source. 


Num- 
ber of 
analy- 
ses. 


Silica. 
(Si0 2 ). 


Iron 
(Fe). 


Cal- 
cium 
(Ca). 


Magne- 
sium 
(Mg). 


Sodium 
and po- 
tassium 
(Na+K). 


Bicar- 
bonate 
radicle 
(HCO,). 


Sul- 
phate 
radicle 
(SO,). 


Chlo- 
rine 
(CI). 


Total 
dis- 
solved 
solids. 


Chattahoochee . . 
Vicksburg 


7 
28 
46 

7 
16 

46 

25 

7 


25 
20 
25 

25 
20 
20 

20 

20 


1 
4 

3 

2 
3 

3 


40 
40 
40 

40 
50 
40 

20 

10 


10 
5 
5 

5 
2 
5 

3 

2 


15 
10 
10 

10 
10 
15 

20 

10 


170 
140 
140 

150 
170 
170 

120 

45 


20 

20 

10 
10 
15 

10 

5 


8 
5 
8 

5 
5 
8 

8 

5 


200 
190 
190 

200 




190 
200 

150 


Arkosic sands... 


75 



a Includes undifferentiated strata of the Alum Bluff, Chattahoochee, and Vicksburg formations. 
b Includes undifferentiated strata of the Jackson, Midway, and Wilcox formations and the Claiborne 
group. 



CHEMICAL CHAEACTER OP WATERS. 529 

Though the waters from the Ripley, like those from later forma- 
tions, differ much from one another in composition, they are as a class 
noticeably lower in mineral content and softer than waters from 
Tertiary rocks. The average total solids in supplies from the Ripley 
is 50 parts per million less than that in supplies from the Vicksburg; 
the content of calcium is half as great; and there is almost a corre- 
sponding difference in bicarbonates. For industrial uses, therefore, 
waters from the sand beds of the Ripley are generally better than 
those from later formations. Waters from typical marine beds of 
the Ripley are possibly more strongly mineralized. 

The waters from the arkosic sands of the Lower Cretaceous are 
lowest of all in mineral content, as may be expected from the fact 
that these beds contain relatively little calcareous material. 

The presence of hydrogen sulphide gas and excessive amounts of 
iron has been reported in waters from all formations of the Coastal 
Plain. The gas imparts an objectionable odor to some of the waters 
and may cause corrosion of boilers and water mains. Iron when 
present in amounts exceeding 2 or 3 parts per million is likely to be 
perceptible to the taste and to cause stains on fabrics washed in the 
water. 

The waters in the limestones and other calcareous deposits of the 
Coastal Plain of Georgia are much alike in composition, but they 
differ materially from the waters in the older, harder, and more 
compact limestones of other parts of the United States. This is 
clearly shown in Table 120, in which the average composition of sup- 
plies from the Vicksburg is compared with that of supplies from the 
"Niagara" limestone of southwestern Ohio 1 and with that from 
limestones yielding fresh water in north-central Indiana. 2 The 
Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian limestones from which fresh 
water is obtained in Indiana are compact, massive, and generally 
fine grained and dolomitic in many places. The "Niagara" of 
southwestern Ohio is a massive granular to compact Silurian lime- 
stone containing a rather large percentage of magnesium. The 
Vicksburg formation is softer, coarser, and much lower in magnesian 
content. These differences are reflected in the composition of the 
waters from these beds; waters from the Vicksburg contain only 
about one-eighth as much magnesium as calcium, whereas waters 
from the older limestones of the Central States contain one-third to 
one-half as much magnesium as calcium. The waters from the 
Vicksburg are much lower in total mineral content and in all con- 
stituents except silica, which though exhibiting local differences 
seems to be relatively constant, irrespective of the range of other 

1 Dole, R. B., Chemical character of the waters of southwestern Ohio: IT. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply 
Paper 259, p. 212, 1912. 

2 Dole, R. B., Chemical character of the waters of north-central Indiana: U. S. Geol. Survey Water- 
Supply Paper 254, p. 261, 1910. 

38418°— wsp 341—15^—34 



530 UNDERGROUND WATERS OE COASTAL PLAIN OE GEORGIA. 



constituents. The relatively small content of sulphate and clilo- 
ride in the waters of the Vicksburg also is noteworthy. 

Table 120. — Comparison of quality of water from Vicksburg formation of Georgia with 
that from older limestones in Ohio and Indiana. 

Mineral content in parts per million. 



Num- 
ber of 
analy- 
ses 
aver- 



Siliea 
(Si0 2 ). 



Iron 
(Fe). 



1 
.5 
1.8 



Cal- 
cium 
(Ca). 



sium 
(Mg). 



Sodium 
and po- 
tassium 
(Na+K). 



Car- 
bonate 
radicle 
(C0 3 ). 



Bicar- 
bonate 
radicle 
(HC0 3 ). 



140 
360 
341 



Sul- 
phate 
radicle 
(SO,). 



Chlo- 
rine 
(CI). 



Total 
dis- 
solved 
solids. 



190 
440 
466 



Percentage composition of the anhydrous residues. 



D 




12 
4 


1 
0. 



24 

18 
20 


3 

9 

7 


5 
5 

7 


40 
40 
40 




12 
18 
17 


3 
6 
5 




E 








F 

















A Average of analyses of water from the Vicksburg formation of Georgia. 

B Average of analyses of water from the "Niagara" limestone of southwestern Ohio. 

C Average of analyses of water from the limestones yielding fresh water in north-central Indiana. 

D, E, and F. Percentage composition of anhydrous residues computed respectively from A, B, and C. 

QUALITY IN RELATION TO GEOGRAPHIC POSITION. 

Most ground waters in the belt of counties along the northwestern 
border of the Coastal Plain are low in mineral content and soft, 
carrying less than 150 parts per million of dissolved solids and less 
than 50 parts of hardening constituents. The waters of many deep 
wells along the coast in Mcintosh, Glynn, and Camden counties con- 
tain 50 to 120 parts per million of sulphate and 200 to 400 parts of 
dissolved matter, and are proportionately much harder than sup- 
plies elsewhere, though the excessive content of chlorine that might 
be expected is not present. Throughout the rest of the State 
spring waters are not uncommonly lower in mineral content than the 
well waters, which range in general from 150 to 300 parts per million 
in total solids and from 50 to 200 parts in total hardness and com- 
monly contain less than 20 parts per million of sulphate and less 
than 10 parts per million of chlorine. 

RELATION OF QUALITY TO DEPTH. 

It has been stated that the greater the depth of the water-bearing 
strata in Georgia the greater the amount of mineral matter dissolved 
in water from them. In some senses this is true. Many spring waters 
of the State contain less mineral matter than waters from wells 
entering deeper strata of the same formation, though whether the 
difference of mineral content is essentially a factor of depth or is 
caused by differences in the composition and texture of the water- 
bearing beds has not been demonstrated. It is also true that many 



CHEMICAL CHARACTER OP WATERS. 531 

wells drawing chiefly from the Cretaceous at depths of 200 to 600 
feet yield more strongly mineralized waters than wells entering the 
Cretaceous formations where they are not overlain by Eocene strata 
that yield strongly calcareous waters. The most reasonable explana- 
tions of this difference are that the waters of the Cretaceous in the 
deeper wells are mixed with waters from the overlying Eocene 
or that the water-bearing beds become more strongly calcareous 
toward the coast. Aside from these differences, however, there 
seems to be no basis for the belief that mineral content of water 
increases with depth of well in the Coastal Plain of Georgia. The 
deeper wells at some places yield the stronger waters, but at other 
places the reverse is true. For example, the water of a well 264 feet 
deep at Fort Gaines contains 238 parts per million of dissolved matter 
and has a hardness of 25 parts, and the water of another well 650 feet 
deep at the same place in the same formation contains 248 parts of 
dissolved matter and has a hardness of 23 parts. The slight difference 
of mineral content is insignificant. Two 710-foot wells entering the 
Ripley at Albany furnish supplies containing 160 and 193 parts per 
million of dissolved matter. Three analyses of water from different 
levels (all reported to be in the Vicksburg formation) in the same well 
in Lowndes County afford an excellent illustration of the irregular 
differences in mineral content; the total mineral contents of waters 
from the 360-foot, 460-foot, and 515-foot horizons are, respectively, 
150, 138, and 149 parts; and the corresponding hardnesses are 107, 90, 
and 105 parts. Throughout the Coastal Plain local differences in 
the character and structure of the water-bearing beds or in the 
rate of diffusion from overlying beds cause local differences in the 
composition of the ground waters, but these differences conform to 
no general rule. As a matter of fact waters from the same depth in 
the same formation and in the same county may be essentially alike 
or noticeably different, and waters from different depths in a given 
formation may or may not differ in composition. 

ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE WATERS. 

The surface waters are lower in mineral content than most of the 
ground waters and consequently are better for industrial use. After 
the heavy loads of silt have been removed the river waters are 
excellent for general industrial use, being soft, usually only slightly 
colored, and low in scale-forming and foaming constituents. Proper 
filtration of them furnishes water low in mineral content, generally 
low in iron, soft, and otherwise satisfactory for municipal supplies. 

The ground waters from Cretaceous strata are fairly low in mineral 
content, are usually soft, and are entirely acceptable for domestic 
use unless thev contain too much iron. 



532 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

The waters from later formations are calcium carbonate waters 
of moderately mineral content, rather hard, but most of them not 
too hard for domestic use. A number of them are low in sulphates, 
chlorides, and alkalies, and consequently can be softened for boiler 
use at relatively little expense. Preheaters would remove a great 
part of the scale-forming material, and none of the waters analyzed 
is too high in mineral content to be amenable to treatment in a cold- 
water softening plant. Many supplies from Tertiary rocks are 
reported to be "sulphurous" — that is, to contain some hydrogen 
sulphide — and such supplies might cause corrosion of water mains, 
flush tanks, and boilers. This gas, however, is readily removed or 
oxidized by aeration, and probably the iron in many of the waters 
could be similarly removed. 



INDEX. 



A. 

Page. 

Abbeville, Poor Robin Spring near 460 

water supply of 458-459, 461 

Acids in water, effects of 479-480 

Adams, water supply at 308 s 309 

Adel, water supply of 144 

Albany, water supply of 235-238, 241-242 

Allenhurst, artesian well at 314,315-316 

Altamaha upland, description of 32-34 

Alum Bluff formation, composition of water 

from ' 524-525 

distribution and character of 89-94 

plates showing 86, 90, 91, 94 

water in 130-131 

Americus, public fountain at, plate showing . . 240 

water supply of , 393-397, 399-400 

AndersonvUle, artesian well and spring 

at 398, 399-400 

Ansley, J. B., acknowledgments to 393,394 

Apalachicola group, distribution and char- 
acter of 86-94 

Appalachian Mountains, description of 26-27 

Appalachian Valley, description of 26-27 

Appling County, topography and geology 

of 133-134 

water resources of 134-135 

Arcadia, artesian well at 315-316 

Arlington (Calhoun County), water supply of. 171 

172, 174-175 
Arlington (Early County), artesian wells 

near 246-247 

Armena, artesian wells at 308, 309, 310 

Artesian wells. See Wells, artesian. 

Ashburn, water supply of 433 

Atwood, George E ., acknowledgment to 325 

Augusta, water supply of 371-372, 374-375 

B. 

Babcock, artesian well at 340-341 

Bacteria in water, precautions against 484-485 

Bah risen, B. F., acknowledgment to 396 

Bainbridge, water supply of 220-221, 222-223 

Baker County, topography and geology of . . 135-136 

water resources of 136-138 

Baldwin County, topography and geology of 138-139 

water resources of 139-140 

Barksdale, T. W., acknowledgment to 445 

Barnwell sand, distribution and character of . 79-80 

water in 127-129 

Barrett; Thomas, jr., acknowledgment to 371 

Barrington, artesian wellat 326, 327-328 

Bartow, water supply of 288-289, 290 

Barwick, water supply of 155-156 

Bassler, R. S., fossils identified by . . 358, 394, 403, 404 
Baumgartner, Fred, acknowledgment to . . . 261, 326 
Baxley, water supply of 134-135 



Bay, use of term 33 

Beach, artesian well at 439, 440 

Beachton, artesian well at 269-270 

Belfast, artesian wells at 160-161 

Ben Hill County, topography and geology of.. 140 

water resources of 140-142 

Berrien County, topography and geology of. 142-143 

water resources of 143-146 

Bibb County, topography and geology of. . . 146-147 

water resources of 147-151 

Big Pond, description of .- 42 

Blackshear, water supply of 356-357 

Bladen, artesian well at 263, 264-266 

Blakely, water supply of 245, 246-247 

Bleckley County set off from Pulaski County . 151 
Blue Spring, description of 240 

stream flowing from, plate showing 240 

Bluflton, well and spring in 199-200 

Boilers, compounds for use in 474-475 

heating and purifying water for 495-497 

rating of waters for 475-477 

remedies for water troubles in 473^74 

softening waters for 478 

waters harmful to 471-473 

Boston, water supply of 422-423 

Bowens Mill, artesian well at 142 

Bradley, Daniel, acknowledgment to 387 

Bridges, E. L., acknowledgment to 376 

Brooks County, topography and geology of. 152-153 

water resources of 153-156 

Broxton, artesian well at 204-205 

Bruce, J. S., acknowledgment to 460 

Brunswick, water supply of 260-261, 264-267 

Bryan County, topography and geology of. . 156-157 

water resources of 157-161 

Buena Vista, artesian wells at 336-337, 338 

water supply of 336-337, 338 

Buffalo Swamp, description of 42 

Bulloch County, topography and geology of. . 162 

water resources of 163-164 

Burke County, topography and geology of. 164-166 

water resources of 166-170 

Burnham, W. W., acknowledgment to 467 

Burnt Fort, artesian well at 182-183 

Burroughs, artesian wells at 190-192 

Byron, artesian well at 277-278 

Byronville, water supply of 230-231, 232-233 

C. 

Cairo, water supply of 268-269, 270 

Calcareous marine sand of the Ripley forma- 
tion, plate showing 64 

Calcium in water, effects of 481-482, 485-486 

Calhoun County, topography and geology 

of 170-171 

water resources of 171-175 

Calvary, artesian well at 269-270 

533 



534 



INDEX. 



Page. 
Camden County, topography and geology 

of 175-177 

water resources of 177-180 

Camilla, water supply of 343, 344 

Carbonates in water, effects of 482, 486 

Carl or, W. R., acknowledgment to 246 

Chalker, wells at 446 

Chamberlin, T. C, cited 120 

Chandler, J. H., acknowledgment to 343 

Chandler, S. S., acknowledgments to 220, 

245, 276, 422 
Charlton County, topography and geology 

of 181-182 

water resources of 182-183 

Charlton formation, distribution and charac- 
ter of 101-102 

on St. Marys River, plate showing 100 

water in 132 

Chatham County, topography and geology 

of 183-184 

water resources of 1S5-192 

Chattahoochee anticline, description of, 57-59 

Chattahoochee County, topography and 

geology of 192-193 

water resources of 193-195 

Chattahoochee formation, composition of 

water from 523-524 

distribution and character of 86-89 

limestone of, plate showing 86 

sink in, plate showing 34 

water in 130 

Chattahoochee River, analyses of water from . 498 

bluffs on, plates showing 60, 62, 63 

Chauncey, water supply of 226, 227, 228 

Chester, water supply of 225-226, 227, 228 

Chlorides in water, effects of 482-483, 485 

Claiborne group, subdivisions of 73 

water in 127-129 

composition of 515-517 

Clay, L. B., acknowledgment to 288 

Clay County, topography and geology of 196-197 

water resources of 197-200 

Claxton, water supply of 404-405 

Clinch County, topography and geology of. . 200-201 

water resources of 201-202 

Clyde, artesian wells at 160-161 

Coastal Plain of Georgia, fresh-water swamps 

of 40-43 

general features of 28-29 

geologic map of 52 

lakes and ponds of 39-40 

map of the underground water resources 

of 122 

springs of 43 

stratigraphy of 52-56 

streams of 38-39 

structure in 56-59 

terraces of 38 

Cochran, artesian well at 361-362 

Cocke, I. P., acknowledgment to 308 

Coffee County, topography and geology of. . 202-203 

water resources of 203-205 

Coffinton, artesian wells at 387, 389-390 

Cole, J. E., acknowledgment to 367 

Collins, water supply of 405, 406 



Color in water, objections to 480 

Colquitt County, topography and geology of. 205-206 

water resources of 206-208 

Colquitt, water supply of 339-341 

Columbia County, topography and geology 

of 208-209 

water resources of 209 

Columbia group, formations of 103-111 

Columbus, section from, to the Florida State 

line south of Thomasville 52 

water supply of 350-355 

Coney, artesian wells near 215-216 

Congaree clay member, distribution and 

character of 77-78 

plate showing 78 

water in 127-129 

Connelly, J. R., acknowledgment to 356, 451 

Cooperation by the State 25 

Cordele, water supply of 214-215, 216-218 

Cordray Mill, artesian well at , . 173, 174-175 

Corrosion of boilers 472 

Cowarts, artesian wells at 246-247 

Crawford County, topography and geology 

of 209-210 

water resources of ' 210-212 

Creighton Island, artesian well at 326, 327-328 

Cretaceous series, Lower, Arkose of, on 
Columbus-Macon road, plate 
showing 60 

features of 60-62 

strata of, on Chattahoochee River, plate 

showing 60 

water in 124-125 

composition of 508-510 

Cretaceous series, Upper, formations of 62-66 

water in 125-126 

composition of 510-514 

Crisp County, topography and geology of. . 212-213 

water resources of 214-218 

Crispin, artesian well at 263-264, 264-266 

Cumberland Plateau, description of 26-27 

Cushman, J. A., fossils determined by 318-319 

Cusseta sand member of the Ripley forma- 
tion, plate showing 65 

water supply of 194 

Cuthbert, water supply of 367, 368 

D. 

Dall, W.H., cited 90 

Damascus, water supply of 245-246, 246-247 

Darien, artesian wells at 324-325, 327-328 

Davisboro, artesian well at 446, 447 

mineral spring west of 446, 447 

Dawson, water supply of 417, 419,. 420 

Decatur County, topography and geology of 218-219 

water resources of 219-223 

Deering, L. L., acknowledgment to 263 

Depth of water-bearing beds, relation of qual- 
ity to 530-531 

Dexter, water supply of 303 

Diarrhea, waters causing 486 

Doboy, artesian well at 326, 327-328 

Doctortown, artesian well at 452-453 , 454 

Dodge County, topography and geology of. . 224-225 

water resources of 225-228 



INDEX. 



535 



Doorun, water supply of 207, 208 

Dole, R. B., work of 25 

Doles, artesian well at 467, 468 

Domestic use, requirements of water for. . . 483-487 

Donald, artesian wells at 313,315-316 

Donaldsonville, water supply of 221, 222-223 

Dooling, water supply of 232 

Dooly County, topography and geology of. 228-229 

water resources of 229-233 

Dorchester, artesian wells at 315-316 

Dougherty County, topography and geology 

of 233-235 

water resources of 235-242 

Dougherty plain, description of 31-32 

Douglas, water supply of 204-205 

Dover, artesian well at 380, 382-383 

Doyle, artesian well at 337 

Dublin, water supply of 303, 304, 305 

Ducker, artesian well at 240, 241-242 

Duplin Marl, distribution and character of. . 99-100 

plate showing 90 

E. 

Early County, topography and geology of. . 243-244 

water resources of 244-247 

Eastman, water supply of 225, 227 

Echols County, topography and geology of. . 248 

water resources of 249 

Economic value of the waters 531-532 

Eden, artesian wells at 251 , 252-253 

Edison, water supply of 173, 174-175 

Edwards, H. S., cited 148 

Effingham County, topography and geology 

of 249-250 

water resources of 250-253 

Egypt, artesian well at 251, 252-253 

Elevations, list of 44-51 

Ellaville, water supply of. 376-377 

Elmodel, artesian well at 137-138 

Emanuel County, topography and geology 

of 253-254 

water resources of 254-256 

Eocene series, formations of 67-83 

water in 127-129 

composition of. 514-520 

Eufaula, Ala., artesian wells at 364-365 

Eutaw formation, clay of, in Slick Bluff, plate 

showing 63 

concretions in, plate showing 62 

distribution and character of 62-64 

sands and clays in, plate showing 62 

unconsolidated sand of, plate showing ... 63 

water in 125 

composition of 514 

Evans, A. W., acknowledgment to 444 

Evaporation, conditions affecting 117 

Evelyn, artesian well at 264, 265-266 

Everett City, artesian well at 263, 265-266 

Everhart, Edgar, work of 25 

F. 

Fall-line hills, description of 29-31 

Feed water, heating and purifying of 495-497 

Filtration, rapid sand, method of 493-494 

slow sand, method of 491-493 

Fineher, J. L. , acknowledgment to 274 



Fitzgerald, water supply of 141, 142 

Flemington, artesian wells at 314,315-316 

Flint, artesian wells at 344 

Flint River, analyses of water from 502 

Floyd, W. J., acknowledgments to 313, 

314,380,381 

Foaming in boilers 473 

Folkston, artesian well at 182-183 

Formations, principal water-bearing 507-508 

Fort, John P. , acknowledgment to 239 

Fort Gaines, water supply of 197-199, 200 

Fort McAllister, artesian wells at 159, 160-161 

Fort Valley, water supply of 274-275, 277-279 

Fossils, occurrence of. . 68, 69, 72, 75, 76, 78, 80, 82-83, 
86,88-89,91,93,97-98,99, 
100,102,108-110,236,237 

Fuller, M. L., cited 121 

and Sanford, Samuel, acknowledgments 

to 357,404 

cited 221-222 

G. 

Geographic position, quality of water in rela- 
tion to 530 

Georgetown, artesian well northeast of 364 

gully northeast of, plate showing 65 

Gibson, water supply of 257-258 

Gidley, J. W. , fossils identified by 109 

Girard, water supply of 169-170 

Glascock County, topography and geology 

of 256-257 

water resources of 257-258 

Glynn County, topography and geology of. . 258-259 

water resources of 259-267 

Golden, I. E., acknowledgment to 354 

Goldsmith, artesian wells at 283, 284 

Gordon, artesian well at 464 

Gough, water supply of 169-170 

Gracewood, artesian well at 372-373, 374-375 

Grady County, topography and geology of. 267-268 

water resources of. 268-270 

Graves, artesian wells at 418, 419 

Greene, C. C, acknowledgment to 198-199 

Greene, W. S., acknowledgment to 351 

Greens Cut, artesian wells at 168-170 

Greer, R. L., acknowledgment to 330 

Griswoldville, artesian well at 300 

Gullies, description of 30-31 

Guyton, artesian well at 251, 252-253 

H. 

Hagan, artesian well at 405, 406 

Hancock County, topography and geology 

of 270-271 

water resources of 271 

Harrell, G . H . , acknowledgment to 286 

Hawkinsville, water supply of 360-362 

Hazelhurst, water supply of 282-283, 284 

Heartsease, artesian well at 145 

Helena, artesian wells at 412, 414, 415 

Henry County, Ala., artesian well in 199 

Herndon, artesian wells at 293-294, 295 

Hershman, artesian well at 381-383 

Higgston, water supply of 346, 347-348 

Hilton & Dodge Lumber Co., acknowledg- 
ment to 262 



536 



INDEX. 



Hogan, J. F., acknowledgment to 364 

Houston County, topography and geology 

of 271-272 

water resources of 273-279 

Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., acknowl- 
edgments to 372, 379, 450 

Huguenin, artesian wells at 398,399-400 

Hydrogen sulphide in water, effects of 483, 485 

I. 

Ice, artesian well at 358-359 

Idylwild, artesian wells at 298-299 

Iron City, water supply of 221, 222-223 

Iron in water, effects of 480-481, 485 

Irwin County, topography and geology of . 279-280 

water resources of 280-281 

Irwinton, artesian wells at 463 

J. 

Jackson formation, distribution and charac- 
ter of 80-83 

water in 129 

composition of 517-518 

James, T . J. , acknowledgments to 337, 397, 456 

Jay Bird Spring, description of 226 

Jeff Davis County, topography and geology 

of 281-282 

water resources of. 282-284 

Jefferson County, topography and geology 

of 284-285 

water resources of 285-291 

Jekyl Island, artesian well on 264, 265-267 

Jenkins County, topography and geology of. 291-292 

water resources of 292-296 

Jesup, artesian wells at 450-451, 454, 455 

Johnson County, topography and geology 

of 296-297 

water resources of 297-299 

Johnston, Thomas T., cited 185-187 

Jointer Island, artesian well on 261, 265-267 

Jones County, topography and geology of. . 299-300 

water resources of 300-301 

June, Robert, acknowledgment to 260 

K. 

Keller, water supply of 158-159, 160-161 

Kibbee, spring near 347 

Kingsland, water supply of 178-180 

Kioka Place, artesian well at 239, 241-242 

Kite, artesian well at 298, 299 

L. 

Lakes, use of water from 118 

Laurens County, topography and geology 

of 301-302 

water resources of 302-305 

Leary, water supply of 172-173, 174-175 

Lee County, topography and geology of . . . 305-306 

water resources of 306-310 

Leesburg, artesian wells a c 306-307, 309, 310 

Lela, artesian well at 221-222 

Leslie, artesian wells at 398-400 

Liberty County, topography and geology of. 310-311 

water resources of 312-316 

Lithia water, value of 488 

Littlejohn, J. A., acknowledgment to 215 

Loughridge, E. H., cited.. 41,90 



Louisville, water supply of 286-288, 290, 291 

Lowe, J. G. , acknowledgment to 336 

Lowndes County, topography and geology 

of 316-317 

water resources of 317-320 

Loyd, H. F., acknowledgments to 293, 294 

Ludowici, water supply of 312-313, 315-316 

Lumber City, water supply of 413-414, 415 

Lumpkin, water supply of 386, 389-390 

wells near 387, 388 

Lyons, artesian wells at 430, 431 

M. 

McArthur plantation, artesian well on 346 

McBean formation, distribution and character 

of 73-78 

Ostrca georginaa from, plate showing 74 

plates showing 74, 78 

water in 127-129 

McCallie,S. \V., acknowledgments to 26 

cited in, 167, 

172, 177, 188, 194-195, 198, 204, 225, 230, 231, 
245-246, 251, 252, 261, 262, 263, 264, 209. 276, 
280-281, 286, 288, 289, 294, 307, 308, 324, 326, 
330, 331, 332, 337, 358, 367, 396-397, 398, 405, 
408, 418, 444, 452-453, 459, 463, 464, 466-467 
McDufBe County, topography and geology of . 321 

water resources of 321-322 

Mcintosh County, topography and geology 

of 322-323 

water resources of. 323-328 

McNulty, F. W., acknowledgment to 417 

Macon, log of well south of 149 

section from a locality near, to the mouth 

of St. Marys River, plate showing 52 

water supply of. 148,150-151 

Macon County, topography and geology of. . 328-329 

water resources of. 329-334 

McPhaul, J. C, acknowledgment to 467 

McRae (Montgomery County), artesian wells 

at 347-348 

McRae (Telfair County), water supply of. . 413,414 

Magnesium in water, effects of 481-482, 485-486 

Magnolia Spring, description of 397-398 

Manassas, artesian well at 405-406 

Manta, railroad cut at, plate showing Cus- 

seta sand member in 65 

Mardre, W. L., acknowledgment to 386 

Marion County, topography and geology of. 334-335 

water resources of 335-338 

Marks Head marl, distribution and character 

of 9S-99 

plate showing 90 

Marshall, C. D., acknowledgment to 417 

Marshall ville, artesian wells at 332, 333 

Marshes, salt, nature of 37 

Mauk, wells near 409, 410 

Mears, water supply of 3S0-3S1, 3S2-383 

Medicinal use, waters for 487-489 

Meldrim, artesian wells at 252-253 

Mid ville, water supply of 168, 169-170 

Midway formation, distribution and char- 
acter of 67-70 

water in 127 

composition of 514-515 

Milledgeville, water supply of. 139 



INDEX. 



537 



Millen, water supply of 293, 295, 296 

Miller County, topography and geology of. 338-339 

water resources of 339-341 

Millhaven, artesian wells at 380, 382-383 

Milltown, water supply of 144, 145 

Mineral substances found in water 470-471 

Miocene series, formations of 98-100 

general features of 97-98 

water in 131-132 

Miona Springs, description of 332 

Mitchell County, topography and geology 

of. 341-342 

water resources of 342-344 

Montezuma, flowing well of E. J. Wilson at, 

plate showing 330 

water supply of. 330-332, 333-334 

Montgomery , artesian wells south of 190-191 

Montgomery County, topography and geol- 
ogy of 344-345 

water resources of 345-348 

Morven, water supply of 155-156 

Morgan, water supply of 173, 174-175 

Moultrie, water supply of. 206-207, 208 

Mount Pleasant, artesian wells at. . 451-452,454,455 

Mount Vernon, water supply of 346, 347-348 

Munn, J. P. , acknowledgment to 336 

Murphy, H. , acknowledgment to 438 

Muscogee County, topography and geology 

of 348-350 

water resources of 350-355 

N. 

New Lacey, artesian well at 135 

Newton, water supply of 137 

Nixon, S. J., acknowledgment to 463 

Norman Park, water supply of 207-208 

O. 

Oakfleld, artesian wells at 467-468 

Ochwalkee, artesian well at 347-348 

Ocilla, water supply of 280-281 

Ocmulgee River, analyses of water from 499 

Oconee, artesian well at 445-446, 447 

Oconee River, analyses of water from 503 

Offerman, water supply of 357-358 

Oglethorpe, artesian wells at 330, 333-334 

public flowing well at, plate showing 330 

Okefenokee formation, distribution and 

character of 103-107 

in Columbus-Lumpkin road, plate show- 
ing 106 

sand used in the manufacture of glass, 

plate showing 106 

Okefenokee plan;, description of 35-36 

Okefenokee Swamp, description of 40-42 

Old Danville, artesian well at 398, 399-400 

Oligocene beds, weathered phase of, plate 

showing 94 

Oligocene series, formations of 83-97 

water in 129-131 

composition of 520-526 

Oligocene to Pleistocene series, undifferenti- 
ated materials of 94-97 

water in 132 

composition of 526-527 

Omaha, artesian wells at 387, 389-390 



Oos'anaula River, analyses of water from 501 

Organic matter in water, effects of 483 

Ossabaw Island, artesian wells at 160-161 

Ostrea georgiana, plate showing 74 

P. 

Parrott, water supply of 418, 419 

Pataula Creek, narrows of, plate showing. ... 64 

waterfall on, plate showing 64 

Paullin, J. E., acknowledgment to 198 

Pavo, artesian well at 423 

Pelham, water supply of 343,344 

Pembroke, water supply of 159-161 

Perkins, water supply of 293, 295, 296 

Perry, water supply of 276, 277-279 

Philema, artesian wells at 308, 309, 310 

Piedmont Plateau, description of 27-28 

Pierce County, topography and geology of. 355-356 

water resources of 356-359 

Pinehurst, water supply of 231, 232 

Pineview, artesian wells at 460, 461 

Pitts, artesian well at 460,461 

Plains, artesian wells at 397, 399-400 

Plants, growth of, in water 483-484 

Pleistocene series, formations of 102-111 

water in 132-133 

See also Oligocene. 
Pliocene series, distribution and character 

of 100-102 

water in 132 

Poisonous substances in water 485 

Ponds, use of water from 118 

Pooler, water supply of 189-191 

Poor Robin Spring, description of 460 

Poulan, water supply of 466, 468, 469 

Preston, artesian well at 456-457 

Pretoria, water supply of 240, 241-242 

Providence sand member of the Ripley for- 
mation, plate showing 65 

Provinces, geologic, rocks of 52 

Pulaski County, topography and geology of. 359-360 

water resources of 360-362 

Purification of water, objects sought in 489-490 

processes employed in 490-497 

Putnam, spring near 338 

Putney, artesian well at 240, 241-242 

Q- 

Quitman, water supply of 154-155, 156 

Quitman County, topography and geology 

of 362-363 

water resources of 363-365 

R. 

Rainfall, disposition of 116-118 

mean annual 116 

Randolph County, topography and geology 

of 365-366 

water resources of 366-368 

Recent deposits, distribution and character 

of 111-112 

Red hills, nature of 30 

Reidsville, water supply of 403-404, 406 

Rentz, artesian well at 303-304 

Reynolds, artesian well at 408, 410 

dug well at 408-409,410 



538 



INDEX. 



Page. 

Rhino, artesian well at 226, 227 

Riceboro, artesian wells at 315-316 

Richland, water supply of 3S6, 389-390 

Richmond County, topography and geology 

of 369-370 

water resources of 370-375 

Richwood, water supply of 231,232 

Ripley formation, distribution and character 

of 6-1-66 

members of, plates showing 64, 65 

water in 125-126 

composition of 510-513 

R iver waters, average composition of 504 

Rochelle, artesian well at 459, 461 

Rocks, water combined with 117 

Rockyford, artesian wells at 380, 382-383 

Roding, artesian wells at 160 

Rogers, water supply of 294, 295 

Run-off, influences affecting 116-117 

S. 

Saffold, artesian wells near 246, 247 

St. Catherines Island, artesian wells on 314, 

315-316 

St. Marys, water supply of 177,179-180 

St. Simons Island, artesian wells on 261-263, 

265-267 

mud from, analysis of Ill 

Sandersville, artesian wells at 444, 446, 447 

Sand hills, nature of 30,34,114 

Sand stream near Tazewell, plate showing. . . 34 
Sands, surficial gray, of the upland, distribu- 
tion and character of 112-115 

Sapelo Island, artesian well on 525-526 

Sasser, artesian wells at 418, 419 

Satilla coastal lowland, description of 36-38 

Satilla formation, distribution and character 

of 107-111 

on Altamaha River, plate showing 100 

Satilla terrace plain, plate showing 35 

Savannah, water supply of 185-189, 190-192 

Savannah River, analyses of water from 500 

Scale, formation of, in boilers 471-472 

Scarboro, artesian well at 294, 295 

Schley County, topography and geology of. . 375-376 

water resources of 376-377 

Scotland, artesian wells at 413, 414 

Screven County, topography and geology of. 377-378 

water resources of 378-383 

Shamrock Springs, artesian wells at 414, 415 

Shellman, record of well at 71 

water supply of 367-368 

Sink in limestone, near Recovery, plate show- 
ing 34 

Slichter, C. S., cited 185-188 

Slick Bluff, Chattahoochee River, plate show- 
ing 63 

Sloan, Earle, cited 77 

Smith, E. A., cited 194, 364, 365 

Smith, J. A., cited - 277 

Smithville, water supply of 307, 309 

Sodium in water, effect of 483 

Softening water, methods of 494-495 

Somerville, artesian wells at 372, 374-375 

Soperton, artesian wells at 347-348 

Southern lime-sink region, description of 34-35 



Southland, well near 409, 410 

Sparks, water supply of 144, 145, 146 

Spencer, J. W., cited 214,220-221, 

237-238,240,367,422 

Spread, water supply of 289, 290, 291 

Springfield, water supply of 251, 252-253 

Springs, water supplies from 123 

Statesboro, water supply of 163-164 

Stephens, C. V., acknowledgment to 389 

Stephenson, L. W., work of 25-26 

Stevens Pottery, artesian well at 140 

Stewart County, topography and geology of 3S3-385 

water resources of 385-390 

Streams, water supplies from 118 

Strickland, J. O., cited 159-160 

Sulphates in water, effects of 482, 486 

Sumter, artesian well at 398, 399-400 

Sumter County , topography and geology of. 391-392 

water resources of 392-400 

Suspended matter in water, effects of 480 

Sylvania, water supply of 379-380, 382-383 

Sylvester, water supply of 466, 468, 469 

Swamps, fresh- water, nature of 40-43 

tidal, nature of 37 

upland, nature of 37 

T. 

Tague, James, acknowledgment to 286 

Talbot County, topography and geology of. . 401 

water resources of 401-402 

Tarboro, artesian wells at 178, 179-180 

rice and lumber mill at, plate showing.. 152 
Tattnall County, topography and geology of 402-403 

water resources of 403-406 

Taylor,D. M., cited 372 

Taylor County, topography and geology of. 406-407 

water resources of 407-410 

Tazewell, spring near 337-338 

Telfair County, topography and geology of. 411-412 

water resources of 4 12-415 

Tennile, artesian wells at 445, 446, 447 

Terrace deposits, coastal, description of. .. 104-105, 

107-110 

fluviatile, description of 105-107,110-111 

Pleistocene, plate showing 106 

Terrace plain bordering St. Marys River, 

plate showing 35 

west of new Savannah Bluff, plate show- 
ing 35 

Terrell County, topography and geology of. 415-416 

water resources of 417-420 

Thalman, artesian well at 261, 265-267 

Thomas Bluff, on Chattahoochee River, 

plate showing 60 

Thomas County, topography and geology of 420-421 

water resources of 421-424 

Thomasville, water supply of 422, 423 

Thompson, artesian well at 321-322 

Tift, C. W. , acknowledgments to 236, 237, 238 

Tift County, topography and geology of. 424-425 

water resources of 425-428 

Tifton, water supply of 426-427, 428 

Tingle, artesian well at 303, 304, 305 

Toombs County, topography and geology of 428-429 

water resources of 429-413 

Toomsboro, artesian wells at 463-464 



INDEX. 



539 



Towns, artesian wells at 413, 414 

Tufts Springs, location of 150 

Turner County, topography and geology of. 432-433 

water resources of 433-434 

Twiggs County, topography and geology of. 434-435 

water resources of 435 

Tybee Island, artesian wells on 189, 190-192 

U. 

Ulrich, E. O., fossil identified by 395 

Unadilla, water supply of 230, 232, 233 

Underground storage of water 1 18 

V. 

Valona, artesian well at 325, 327-328 

Valdosta, water supply of 318-320 

Van Buren, J. B., acknowledgment to 300 

Vaughan, T. W., acknowledgments to 26 

fossils identified by 69, 

72, 76, 88, 99, 100, 102, 109, 236, 293, 304, 394 

Vaughn, S. B., acknowledgment to 371 

Veatch, J. O., work of 25-26 

Vegetation, water taken up by 117 

Vicksburg formation, distribution and char- 
acter of 83-86 

flint and limestone of, plate showing 78 

water in 129-130 

composition of 520-523 

Vidalia, water supply of 430-431 

Vienna, water supply of 229-230, 232, 233 

W. 

Wade Spring, plate showing 152 

Wadley, artesian wells at 288, 290, 291 

Walden, T. W., acknowledgment to 257 

Walden, artesian wells at 148-149 

Walker, J. P., acknowledgment to 330 

Walton, G. L., acknowledgment to 388 

Walton, M., acknowledgment to 386 

Ware County, topography and geology of. . 435-436 

water resources of 436-440 

Warren County, topography and geology of. . 441 

water resources of 441 

Warwick, G. W ., acknowledgment to 307 

Warwick, artesian well at 467, 468 

Washington County, topography and geology 

of 442-443 

water resources of 443-448 



Water, chemical character of 470-532 

quality of 119, 530-531 

requirements of, for manufacturing 478-479 

uses of 471 

Water table, position of 119 

Waters, ground, chemical composition of. . 505-530 

surface, chemical composition of 497-505 

Waycross, water supply of 437-439, 440 

Wayne County, topography and geology of. 448-449 

water resources of 449-455 

Waynesboro, water supply of 166-167, 169-170 

Ways, artesian wells at 158, 160-161 

Webster County, topography and geology 

of 455-456 

water resources of 456-457 

Wells, artesian, conditions requisite for 120-121 

artesian, definition of 120 

importance of 120 

possibilities of, in the Coastal Plain. 121-122 
water supplies from 123-124 

shallow, water supplies from 123 

Wheeler County set off from Montgomery 

County 457 

Whigham, water supply of 269-270 

White Elk Spring, description of 149-150 

Wilcox County, topography and geology of. 457-458 

water resources of 458-461 

Wilcox formation, distribution and character 

of 70-73 

water in 127 

Wild Rose Mineral Spring, description of. . 226, 228 
Wilkinson County, topography and geology 

of 461-462 

water resources of 462-464 

Willacoochee, water supply of 204-205 

Wilson, E. J., acknowledgments to 331, 336 

Wind, deposition of sands by 115 

Windsor Spring, description of 373 

Wingfield, Nisbet, acknowledgment to 371 

Withlacoochee anticline, description of 59 

Wolf Island, artesian well at 326, 327-328 

Wood, N . W . , acknowledgment to 351 

Worth, artesian wells at 433-434 

Worth County, topography and geology 

of 464-465 

water resources of 466-469 

Wrens, artesian well at 289, 290, 291 

Wrightsville, water supply of 297-298, 299 



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